National Veterans Leadership Foundation

10/06/2026

MCA Spotlight: Finn O'Brien — University of Notre Dame

As an MCA with Notre Dame's Office of Military and Veterans Affairs, Finn O'Brien focused on two goals that reinforced each other: strengthen the bonds within the student veteran community, and make sure the wider university saw the unique capabilities military-connected students bring to campus.

Finn brought that vision to life through a range of high-visibility activities. He coordinated tailgates for the Student Veterans of America Notre Dame Chapter throughout football season, opening them to all military-related students and their families. He organized promotion ceremonies for active-duty students, spotlighting the ongoing service many students continue to carry out even while pursuing their degrees. And in one of the more unusual activities, he coordinated the military flyovers for Notre Dame football games.

Coordinating aircraft for a flyover isn't something most college students ever get the chance to do, and for Finn, it was a rare opportunity to apply military-relevant skills in a completely unexpected setting while still an undergraduate.

His advice for future MCAs is simple and direct: embrace every opportunity that comes your way while you're at school. For Finn, that mindset was exactly what turned a campus role into an experience he'll remember well beyond graduation.

09/24/2026

From the Ohio Army National Guard to the Ohio State University campus to a future in entrepreneurship, Chantelle Fucci is building her next mission.

A Military Community Advocate at Ohio State and an MBA student at Fisher College of Business, Chantelle is using her military experience to help fellow military-connected students navigate college, career transitions and the path beyond service.

She’s also pursuing her own entrepreneurial ambitions, drawing on the skills and resilience she developed in the military and the mentorship she has found along the way.

Recently, Chantelle was recognized as the featured veteran at an Ohio State football game. Now, she’s sharing her story on Channel 10’s The Big Picture, talking about her military experience, her journey to Fisher, veteran entrepreneurship and why women should be willing to step outside the boxes they create for themselves.

The NVLF is proud to see Military Community Advocates like Chantelle leading, mentoring, and creating new opportunities for the military-connected community.

Watch Chantelle’s story on The Big Picture. https://youtu.be/2LHdTjTptAA?si=FiWQt3YnRTQ1E-tW

Army veteran and business student Chantel Fucci joined The Big Pict...

09/18/2026

Today, The Ohio State University hosted the 2026 Major Lawrence Miller Flag Ceremony, an annual tradition honoring military-connected students, veterans, service members and their families.

Since 2018, cadets and midshipmen from Ohio State’s ROTC programs have gathered to replace worn American flags across campus.

The ceremony at Converse Hall was followed by teams moving across campus to renew flags at university buildings throughout the day.

Dr. Ruann Ernst, a three-time Ohio State graduate, delivered the keynote address, sharing the story of her brother’s service in the U.S. Navy and reflecting on the meaning of service and sacrifice.

The day also included a luncheon highlighting the Major Lawrence Miller Military Community Advocate (MCA) Program, which empowers military-connected student leaders to build community and connect their peers with resources, opportunities and support.

Named for Major Lawrence Miller, a two-time Ohio State alumnus, the ceremony is made possible through the Major Lawrence Miller Veterans and Military Support Fund and philanthropic gifts.

09/16/2026

Last night, military-connected students from six Ohio universities attended the New Albany Speaker Series, featuring Gen. David Petraeus (U.S. Army, Ret.) and Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch.

Among them was NVLF Military Community Advocate and Leadership Fellow Carlos Zaragoza (Bowling Green State University, third from the left), who ran into fellow NVLF Leadership Fellow Josh Davis (The Ohio State University, second from the left). Josh mentioned Ohio State's veteran career fair and invited Carlos to attend. Carlos showed up.

That's the NVLF network at work. Student leaders from different campuses, connected through the MCA and Leadership Fellows programs, are opening doors for each other's next opportunity, one conversation at a time.

09/09/2026

MCA Spotlight: Eyan Ven Roy — University of Wisconsin-Madison
For Eyan Ven Roy, being an MCA meant introducing military-connected students to a mission many of them had never heard of: the Missing-in-Action Recovery and Identification Project, known as MIA RIP. His goal was simple but meaningful: get more military-connected students on campus aware of the project's work and give them a way to get involved.

To make that happen, Eyan organized an open house where military-connected students could meet MIA RIP team members directly, learn about the project's mission firsthand, and explore what involvement could look like for them. It was a chance for the program to move from an unfamiliar acronym to something students could see themselves being part of.

Looking back, what stayed with Eyan most wasn't a single event but the conversations along the way, the stories shared by current and former military students he met throughout his time as an MCA. Those interactions became the most rewarding part of the role.

His advice for future MCAs centers on staying connected in the ways students actually communicate. He learned that a strong social media presence isn't optional, it's essential to reaching the student population effectively. His recommendation is straightforward: get comfortable with the social media landscape and use it consistently, since that's often where the connection to students begins.

09/03/2026

MCA Spotlight: Hannah Raterman – The Ohio State University

As the Military Community Advocate for The Ohio State University’s College of Engineering, Hannah set out to help military-connected students feel like they truly belonged on campus.

She did it one event at a time:

🍗 Bring the Wings! - three times by popular demand

📚 Snacks & Studies - free snacks, studying, and new campus resources

⛸️ Themed ice skating - twice because students wanted more

But the events were only the beginning.
What Hannah valued most was seeing students meet, talk, build friendships and create a community within a busy engineering college.

And when students started emailing her asking when an event would return, she knew she was making a difference.
Her advice to future MCAs?

📣 Promote early and often.

⏰ Know when and where your students can actually participate.

🍕 Never underestimate the power of free food.

📊 Most importantly, listen to your students.

Hannah’s experience shows that sometimes a simple event can become something much bigger: a community where military-connected students know they belong.

We’re proud of the impact Hannah made at Ohio State.

08/27/2026

Congratulations to Kent State University on earning the Seven Seals Award from ESGR for its exceptional commitment to military-connected students, guard members, and reservists.

From centralized veteran support services to a new Military Community Advocate Program launching this fall, Kent State continues to lead by example.

Paired with 17 consecutive years as a Military Friendly School and the Collegiate Purple Star designation, this latest award reflects what NVLF sees firsthand: Kent State shows up for those who serve.

Well-earned recognition for President Todd Diacon, Joshua Rider, executive director of Kent State's Center for Adult and Veteran Services, and the entire Kent State community.

https://www.kent.edu/today/news/kent-state-university-earns-prestigious-award-military-and-veteran-support

Kent State University has earned the prestigious Seven Seals Award for its commitment to supporting military-connected students, veterans and service members.

08/26/2026

A struggling student walked into tutoring. He walked out with a plan for physician assistant school.

Grant Hayden served as NVLF's Military Community Advocate at Bowling Green State University, where he expanded the school's tutoring program for military-connected students and added advanced exam prep for the GRE, MCAT, PCAT, and more.

His proudest moment? A Marine veteran and biology student he met through tutoring turned his GPA around, then worked with Grant to map out a graduate school path through physical therapy, chiropractic, and physician assistant programs. That student is on track to graduate this semester.

"Helping him explore his career options and succeed academically has been a very motivating experience for me," Grant said.

This is what MCAs do every day: turn a tutoring session into a turning point.

Learn more about NVLF's MCA program — https://nvlf.us/mca

08/11/2026

What started as a Military Community Advocate (MCA) project at The Ohio State University became something much bigger.

As he prepared to graduate with his PhD and conclude his time as an MCA, Dr. David Hibler wanted to bring together the many people across Ohio State and Central Ohio working on military- and veteran-related research, programs, services, and initiatives.

His idea became SUMMIT 2026, the Symposium on Unified Military & Veteran Multidisciplinary Innovation and Translation, held August 7 at the Ohio Union.

More than 225 people registered, with more than 60 poster presentations and nine featured speakers from across the country. Ohio State departments and community organizations stepped forward to support the event, creating connections among people who might not otherwise have crossed paths.

For David, that was the goal.

“Our military-connected community deserves excellence in the systems that support them,” he said, along with “a seat at the table where their experience, knowledge, and passion can help lead the way.”

He believes making that vision a reality requires us to “break down silos, work across disciplines and divisions, build new collaborations, and bring creativity and new perspectives to persistent and emerging challenges.”

For David, the mission is deeply personal.

After returning from a 15-month deployment to Baghdad as an Army combat medic, he experienced firsthand some of the challenges military-connected students can face navigating higher education. As an MCA, he used those experiences to help make the path better for those who came after him.

SUMMIT 2026 became a culmination of that work, transforming his experience, relationships, and vision into something that can continue long after his time as an MCA ends.

This is what the MCA program is designed to make possible: empowering military-connected students to identify challenges, build solutions, develop as leaders, and create lasting change.

NVLF is proud to celebrate Dr. Hibler and the incredible impact of his MCA project. His story is a powerful reminder that when we invest in military-connected student leaders, we are not simply supporting students. We are empowering them to become catalysts for change.

Congratulations, David, on an extraordinary project and an outstanding example of MCA leadership.

08/07/2026

Today, we're celebrating a family's leap into entrepreneurship, and one of our own is right at the center of it.

Carlos Zaragoza is a U.S. Marine currently pursuing his MBA at Bowling Green State University. He's also an NVLF Leadership Fellow and serves as our entrepreneurship Military Community Advocate (MCA), helping guide other military-connected students toward business and innovation.

Today, that spirit of entrepreneurship comes full circle for Carlos and his family. His mother, who built her business from the ground up with a food truck, is opening her first brick-and-mortar restaurant: Rosalia's Mexican Kitchen in Findlay, Ohio.

From food truck to storefront, it's a story of hard work, family, and the same drive that fuels Carlos's own path in the military and in business.

NVLF is proud to support students like Carlos through our Pathways program, which offers focus areas in entrepreneurship, health and wellness, K-12 education, and STEM, helping military-connected students turn ambition into opportunity.

Congratulations to Carlos and the Zaragoza family.