Student Veterans Organization
2017 Board Member Nominations
Mission Statement of the SVO
DEADLINE TO SUBMIT YOUR VOTE IS MAY 1, 2017
Positions Open for SVO Change of Command
Vice President: The Vice President shall act under the direction of the President and in the absence of the President shall perform the duties and exercise the powers of the President. Assists President in deciding the direction of the organization and its goals, planning and execution of SVO goals and milestones. The VP shall perform such other duties and have such other powers as the President may from time to time prescribe. Creates templates for membership approval/disapproval. The Vice-President shall act as presiding officer of board meetings. Approves and disapproves members. Sets up and leads volunteer opportunities and supports local community. Operationally, this position is demanding in the scope of communication via, active students, engagement of alumni and influence of faculty.
Project Manager: Creates meeting agendas, consolidates meeting Minutes and distributes to the Officers, Faculty/Staff Advisor. Approves and disapproves members. Sets up and leads volunteer opportunities and supports local community.Maintains accurate and current information of the organization and accountability of recording plans of actions and milestones (PAO&M). The Project Manager will assist President and Vice President in coordinating activities and meetings and prepares documentation to request funding for organizational programs and events.
President Nominations
Thomas Vasko
I am interesting in running as the President of the Student Veteran Organization because I believe I have the skill set and experience necessary to be an essential part of the board. The primary reason I want to be the President is so I can assist those individuals who are in situations similar to mine. Whether that means they are on active-duty, veterans, spouses, or even just a student with no military ties, we are all family and a family takes care of one another. I have a genuine desire to help those around me and see them succeed. I feel that is a fundamental problem in our society today; people do not look out for those around them anymore as we once did. I get excited when I see those around me trying to make their lives better. Furthermore, if there were something I could do to help them in that process, I would do everything within my power to assist them. It is this desire that I believe would make me an excellent candidate as the SVO President. Reaching out to the students of this organization, but also prospective students, and making them all an important part of the Ashford family, ensuring their success at all costs, will be at the forefront of my agenda.
While I believe being the President of the SVO would continue to develop my trade craft in skills like leadership, management, communication and so many more, there is really nothing that I hope to gain from this experience. Throughout the course of my life, I have been in some pretty extreme situation where if it were not for the actions of the men around me, leading, teaching, mentoring, and pushing me to be a better man, then I would not still be on this earth today. If I could have but a fraction of a percent of the same impact on someone else, then it was a good day. I guess you could say, like the email states, being on the SVO board looks good on a resume but I honestly just want to be able to reach out and touch as many people as possible.
I am an active duty United States Marine with a little over six years of service. I enlisted in the United States Marine Corps as a 0311 Rifleman in 2011. I have been fortunate enough to deploy three times, once to the Republic of Georgia, Afghanistan, and Japan. Currently, I am a Primary Marksmanship Instructor at Weapons and Field Training Battalion, Edson Range, instructing recruits in the fundamentals of marksmanship.
I am truly honored and humbled by your consideration for this position. As I touched on, I believe that one of the marks of a true leader is someone who makes those around them, better people. It is the mindset and desire to always be learning more, never giving up, constantly helping those around me, and so many more, that I will bring with me, if elected as President of the SVO, and look to foster in each and every member of the organization.
Brandon Koutalidis
I am interested in becoming the President of the SVO. I feel that my background thru my time here at Ashford has allowed me to become familiar with how the University operates and how we as veteran and current service members can benefit from the school and our education for the long term, not just while we are in the service.
During my time as the President of the SVO, I plan on expanding my ability to work with other veterans that will allow us to become one strengthened union and spread all of our experience and abilities across the organization. This will allow us to assist each other in progressing no matter where we may be in our life and educational goals.
During my tenure here at Ashford I was faced with many challenges both in class and outside. There were times where I thought that I would not complete many tasks, but having the available resources that Ashford has available to include CHAMPS, assisted me in reaching my goals that I set in the beginning of starting classes here at Ashford.
I founded a non-profit organization in 2015 that supports veterans and current service members that is 14 states wide so far. We have supported many retirees and veterans with quality of life issues. This includes assisting with suicide awareness. We are a quick reaction organization that doesn’t need the long term to assist with veterans in need. We can organize and be on ground within a week instead of months that other organizations may take.
I am also in the Sergeant Audie Murphy Club (S.A.M.C) this group is selected of less than 1% of the U.S. Army’s NCOs. It is comprised of NCOs that are the Army’s best leaders and volunteers who has the total soldier concept where making the life of Soldiers a better way and supporting the community inside and outside of the gates of the base.
Also I am a mentor with Ashford University CHAMPS mentor program.
Being a part of the SVO will allow all of us to play a part bigger than ourselves and assist our fellow veterans in need. We have an obligation to assist others and be there for ourselves as a team that we were taught to be no matter what service you were/are in. Becoming a president of this organization is not about me but using myself as a hub to provide knowledge and resources for all of us. President is just a position, being the SVO we are all presidents of our own lives and futures.
Vice-President Nominations
Jeffrey Stanhope
I have been in the military and I am retiring May 1st 2017 and would like to continue to help veterans.
I hope to help veterans achieve their goals as I have at Ashford University.
I am in the process of becoming a member of the SALUTE Veterans National Honor Society. I have been accepted and just waiting on confirmation. I am also the President of my local Non-Profit Soccer club.
I have served honorably for 23 years in the United States Air Force and will be retiring effective May 1st 2017. I was a C-5 loadmaster for 14 years and an Aerospace Ground equipment Craftsman for 9 years. I have learned to be very flexible, problem solve and adapt too many different situations throughout my military career.
If elected I will work hard to help the people I served next to for 23 years to achieve their educational goals.
Isaac Darko
I am interested in the position as the Vice President for Ashford University Student Veterans Organization. As a student and an Active duty personnel currently in my Fourth year of service, I believe I could use this at a great platform to reach out to other personnel in various field to achieve their educational and career goals. I had never heard a word about this organization until recently and I presume there are lots of military personnel and dependents out there who are not informed of the immense benefit such an organization could have on their career goals. I have over the years being in very few leadership positions, but I believe I have gathered a great deal of experience working with awesome leaders and ready to take up this challenge as a Vice President. I believe my enthusiasm, passion and hardworking attitude coupled with being a great team player will be much needed in order to create a professional network as well as renowned resources for mentor-ship and support for all service personnel and family in their educational, personal and professional goals. I have had the opportunity to interact with lots of my peers, and am very optimist of the renewed motivation and inspiration this organization could drive into them knowing they have a strong support network to rely on.
I joined Ashford University in 2015 in pursuit of a BA in Sports and Recreational Management, I have had a great deal of experience here and really appreciative of the support they render to military personnel and dependent. My dream is to become a professional soccer coach in the future since this is something I truly enjoy doing and believes it pays off greatly to be a motivational and transformational factor in the career of young people striving to achieve their goals.
As the Vice President for this organization, I will be at the front line of planning, organizing and masterminding the direction of this organization towards its goals and objectives. Am also mandated to assist the President and Project Manager by using my skills and expertise to inspire a shared purpose of responsibility and commitment to this organization. Am hoping to enhance my leadership, communication as well as management skills as we strive together as an organization to promote and sustain goals in the military fraternity.
Am currently a member of the Base Honor Guard in Minot AFB as well as a Victim Advocate and Youth soccer Coach.
Martin Robinson
I just love working with the military and veterans, and making sure they understand the quality of education at Ashford.
I had great experiences with Ashford University for my undergraduate studies. The personal touch by the academic advisors made it feel like you were on campus at the residential school.
23 Plus years as a Human Resources Manager. I am currently the First Sergeant of the Syracuse MEPS in Syracuse NY. I plan on doing two years, then retiring to my next calling.
Project Manager Nominations
Kimberly Kozeniesky
I am interested in the SVO Project Manager position. Veterans make up a large portion of the student body at Ashford and I am interested in helping everyone achieve their goals. It is important that student veterans have a solid team to lead the way and one that will have their best interest at heart and be there to back them up in all their current and future endeavors at Ashford University.
Through this role, I hope to gain insight into the struggles that veteran students face in order to facilitate a more conducive learning environment for each student. It is my desire to be a part of a student organization that supports student veterans in their academic endeavors and one that can help provide a solid ground so that every student veteran can realize their dreams. This position will also help strengthen my own knowledge with respect to my undergraduate degree and my MBA.
My military affiliation comes two-fold. First, I am a veteran myself where I served 2 years in the United States Marine Corps. I was Honorably Discharged in 1988. I am also a spouse of an Army Reservist. My husband served 4 years in the Marine Corps, 3 years active duty in the Army and has served 13 years in the Army Reserve, so I am well aware of the sacrifices that members of the Armed Forces make as well as their family members in the protection of this great Nation. As a matter of a fact, I have a long line of military in my family. Both my mother-in-law and father-in-law were Marines where my father-in-law lost both legs in Vietnam. My brother-in-law just retired from the Marine Corps as a Colonel and my nephew (his son) is currently serving in the Marine Corps. So, as you can see, I have an up-close and personal relationship with the military members and their families.
If elected, it would be my honor to work hard to represent the SVO and its members and help strengthen the organization as a whole. I have the utmost respect for anyone who is trying to make their life better and achieve their goals, and especially when that person has also served our country or is currently serving or is a family member holding down the fort so that their loved one can ensure our freedom.
Kayce Stephens
I feel I have great organizational skills that will make this opportunity as flawless as it can be. I feel that I achieve these tasks throughout my everyday life. My husband is currently holding a role in his unit where he is the head of numerous recruiting centers, and we hold certain holiday parties, and with him being higher rank I must set up certain events as well as plan and organize the parties.
I’m hoping to build some leadership experience, and can put that I maintained the position, and I done it well on my resume. I’m hoping to get more experience with the military community as well as reach out to know more about military organizations.
I started Ashford in 2016 with online courses. I have maintained a 3.0+ GPA while juggling a full-time job, five kids, and being an Army wife. This college experience has been amazing, and Ashford has made it so easy. I thought it would difficult transferring after my associates was finished, but it was such an easy transition. I will be graduating with honors in August, and I have the military to thank for that because of their Post 9/11 GI Bill.
I have been an Army spouse for five years, and it has been amazing! My father in law is a veteran as well. He retired from the Marines, and my husband will be retiring soon from the Army.
Arielle Vain
What are you hoping to gain from this experience?
Knowledge, that I can carry on with me throughout my career. I am looking to work with a non-profit like the USO or Operation Home Front as a project manager. I have been attending Ashford for almost a year now, and have enjoyed it. I have been able to go back and finish school, while maintaining my daily routine.
I am the spouse of an Active Duty Soldier. He serves with the ARMY, at Fort Sill.
Alisha Swift
I am interesting in a Project Manager position because I have had issues in the past with other online colleges and have withdrawn from others due to all the frustration, confusion and not being able to get help when it was needed. I would like to be able to help avoid the same issues with another student-veteran. I am hoping to gain the personal experience of helping someone or multiple people out with avoiding the issues I had with other colleges and be able to help people through an issue if any occur.
I am an veteran. I served in the Kansas Army National Guard for almost 11 years. After a nasty divorce, I moved to Nebraska, which kind of had me in travel issues to make it to drill. With trying to transfer units to Nebraska, my contract ran out and my leadership did not want to help me do anything to help the transition. So with that in mind, I gave up my dream of retiring from the military to pick up with the rest of my life after it had been destroyed. I served a year in Talil, Iraq with a Sustainment Brigade that was not my home unit. I was newly married at the time and I was literally scared. After a few months with the family I would spend a year with, I because more confident in my training and new found family.
It would be a great honor to me to be able to other student veterans that have had or are running into the same issues as I have in the past. It would be my pleasure to help others that are serving as well as veterans such as myself continue their education and continuing to better themselves. I may not have the top qualifications to the position but I feel with what knowledge and experience I do have, I could help change someone’s outlook on issues they run into.
DEADLINE TO SUBMIT YOUR VOTE IS MAY 1, 2017
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Eligibility
This is a great resume builder and will require roughly 1-2 hours a week of your time.
Please be sure to join the SVO on LinkedIn (must have LinkedIn account to participate)
To be eligible for office, candidates must be enrolled in at least three (3) credits with Ashford University. Candidates must be able to perform all duties required of them as stated in the Constitution and Bylaws. All candidates must also hold an overall 2.75 GPA.
To enter your nomination please fill out the form below and email it to Stephanie.Kinman@ashford.edu