Arielle Patterson and Jemual Shaylor ’21, members of Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½â€™s M.D. Class of 2026, matched at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and Naval Medical Center San Diego, respectively.

Both are recipients of the military’s Health Professions Scholarship, which covers tuition and living expenses for medical students who agree to serve their country for one year for each year of scholarship.

Walter Reed-Bound

Patterson is focused on improving health through physical activity, specializing in physical medicine and rehabilitation.

“As a doctor who is really passionate about fitness and physical medicine and rehabilitation, I want to really inspire the next generation of younger people to live healthier lives, earlier,� she says.

She also wants to expand access to healthcare and encourage more students from medically under resourced communities to enter the field of medicine. Research shows that patients have better outcomes when they feel they can connect to their physician’s personal background.

“There’s a lot of times in medical school where we feel alone, or like the only ones who have gone through this, but so many people have done this before,� she says. “Hopefully I can help bring us a little bit more together.�

Patterson has already begun working toward that goal, serving as director for Region IV of the Student National Medical Association, a student organization committed to improving access to the medical field and building culturally competent and clinically excellent physicians. She helped organize SNMA’s annual regional conference that will be in Orlando, February 20-22, bringing together physicians and medical students from across the southeast United States.

Patterson completed her bachelor’s degree in cellular and molecular biology at Hampton University before joining Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½â€™s M.D. Class of 2026. She says she chose the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ medical school for its youth and innovative, team-oriented culture.

Inspired to Serve

Shaylor was inspired to enter military service by former Assistant Professor Jose Borrero, who was a U.S. Air Force flight surgeon during Vietnam before becoming a founding faculty member at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½. Now retired, Borrero continues to serve as a mentor to Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ medical students.

During medical school, military students have the opportunity to undergo active-duty and officer leadership training at military centers around the country. In April, Shaylor will follow in Borrero’s footsteps to attend flight surgeon training in Norfolk, Virginia.

Specializing in general surgery, Shaylor hopes to eventually become a hand surgeon.

“A hand surgeon is almost a working man’s surgeon. You need your hands to do your job, or almost anything so when you’re able to restore function to any level, it has a major impact on a person’s life,� Shaylor says. “If I can do that, especially in the military where hand injuries are quite common, that would be a calling I would love.�

Shaylor earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering with a minor in bioengineering from Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½.

The Match Process

Before practicing medicine on their own, M.D. graduates must undergo residency training in their chosen specialty. This graduate medical education training takes three to seven years, depending on the specialty.

During their fourth year, medical students interview with residency programs across the country before ranking their top choices. Residency programs do the same before the National Residency Matching Service analyzes the rankings and matches graduates to GME programs. Most results are revealed on National Match Day, which is March 20 this year. Military programs and some specialties match early.

Both also hail from military families. Dubés’ father served in the U.S. Navy during World War II, and Lorié’s father served in the U.S. Army National Guard.

Though they graduated nearly a decade apart, their stories run in parallel. Both found at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ a foundation of curiosity and discipline that would carry them through decades of military service and civilian leadership. Both rose through the ranks of the U.S. Navy Reserve while balancing successful careers and family life. And both now point the spotlight away from themselves, emphasizing that the true heroes are those serving alongside them, including their fellow Reservists.

Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ alums Capt. Roger Dubé ’88 and Capt. Orlando Lorié ’96 are among the university’s highest-ranking alumni Reservists in the Navy Supply Corps.

Reservists are individuals who maintain their military skills while working in a civilian job and typically fulfill their military obligations with one weekend of duty per month and two weeks of annual training. However, it’s not uncommon for Reservists to serve beyond the minimum commitment, or to be deployed during times of conflict or in support of contingencies, either individually or as part of a military unit.

“Roger and I have always believed that what defines the Navy Reserve isn’t the rank or the ribbon — it’s the people,â€� says Lorié, who earned a bachelor’s in management from Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½. “They’re doctors, engineers, teachers, small business owners. They leave their families and jobs behind to answer the call, and they do it without expecting recognition.â€�

Dubé, who has served his country for nearly 30 years, shares that sentiment. He often describes his career, which included stints in corporate accounting, surgical product sales and real estate development, not as a series of personal achievements, but as a journey made possible by those who stood beside him. He drew on many of those experiences to help influence the modernization of Navy processes in supply logistics and deliverability.

“I’ve had the honor of serving with extraordinary men and women — people who embody quiet professionalism,â€� says Dubé, who earned a bachelor’s in accounting from Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½. “They’re the ones who make the Reserve what it is.â€�

“The story isn’t about us,� Lorié says. “It’s about every reservist who serves in silence, who misses birthdays and anniversaries, who stands ready even when no one’s watching. They’re the real heroes.�

For both alumni, Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ played a key role in developing that perspective.

Dubé recalls a university still in its early years of expansion, describing it as a place filled with possibility.

“Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ was young, growing fast and hungry to make a mark,â€� he says. “That energy inspired me. It taught me to be adaptable, to take initiative and to always look for a better way forward. These lessons translated directly to my Navy career.â€�

Lorié also remembers the drive and camaraderie that defined his time on campus.

“There was this sense that we were part of something bigger,â€� he says. “You could feel that Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ was on the rise, and that motivated me to aim higher and to think globally, not just locally.â€�

That forward-looking mindset carried both men through years of deployments, leadership roles and the complex balancing act of life in the Navy Reserve.

Lorié’s career has taken him around the world, from serving as a commanding officer deployed to Afghanistan to piloting jetliners for a U.S. legacy carrier in civilian life. Along the way, he’s remained passionate about mentorship, helping younger sailors and engineers find their footing in demanding fields.

“Mentorship is everything,� says Lorié. “When you’ve been given opportunities, you have a responsibility to help others succeed and to pass on what you’ve learned.�

Dubé echoes that approach. Whether serving abroad or at home, he has focused on leading with integrity and empathy — values he credits to his time at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ and in the Navy Reserve.

“Leadership isn’t about authority,� he says. “It’s about listening, setting an example and never asking someone to do something you wouldn’t do yourself.�

The two often joke that their friendship is built on a combination of shared experiences and good-natured teasing. But beneath the humor lies deep respect, not only for each other but also for the mission that connects them.

“Roger’s humility and professionalism are what make him such a strong leader,� Lorié says. “He never looks for credit. He just gets the job done and takes care of his people.�

The admiration runs both ways. Dubé calls Lorié “the kind of leader you want in your corner — smart, capable and compassionate.�

Today, both men remain connected to Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½, following the university’s continued rise as a powerhouse in innovation and service. They see parallels between Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½â€™s trajectory and the values of the military — resilience, adaptability and community.

“Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ and the Navy Reserve both represent the same idea,â€� Dubé says. “They’re about building people up, giving them the tools to make a difference and trusting them to lead.â€�

“The story isn’t about us,� Lorié says. “It’s about every reservist who performs their duty quietly and, at times, at great personal cost — missing birthdays, anniversaries, sometimes even the birth of their child — who stands ready to stand the watch at a moment’s notice and go into harm’s way without hesitation. They’re the real heroes.�

Their friendship and their service reflect something bigger about Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ itself. As Knights who’ve built their lives around leadership and giving back, they represent the thousands of alumni around the world who serve in ways both seen and unseen. Together, they carry forward a legacy of resilience, compassion and courage that defines the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ community.

“Once a Knight, always a Knight,� Dubé says. “That sense of belonging doesn’t end when you graduate. It stays with you — wherever you serve, wherever you lead and wherever life takes you.�

Today, military musicians, though used less often in combat, are just as integral to the armed forces — their presence signifying a national sense of identity and increasing public trust in times of warfare and uncertainty. Such a dignified profession commands not only extraordinary skill but versatility in one’s craft.

Preparing musicians to adapt to different musical environments is the primary focus of Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½â€™s Percussion Studio. Through a comprehensive curriculum and studying with world-renowned faculty, students learn to master a variety of percussion instruments in an immersive learning environment. The Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ Percussion Ensemble, the primary performing ensemble within the Percussion Studio, also offers students real-world experience in all facets of ensemble playing, from orchestral to chamber music to concert bands.

“Our undergraduate program is designed to train well-rounded percussionists, with the idea that students are equipped to say yes to any opportunity — whether that’s teaching or performing,â€� says Thad Anderson ’04, associate professor of music at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ and coordinator of the percussion studies program.

Where some graduates have continued their studies to pursue teaching careers, others have gone the performing route, auditioning for prestigious gigs like playing with a military premier ensemble — a small group of elite bands responsible for promoting national interests and supporting official government ceremonies such as presidential inaugurations, foreign dignitary visits and funerals for service members.

Although premier ensembles may not carry the same cultural cachet as traditional orchestras, they are just as elite and competitive, with many musicians auditioning multiple times before winning a coveted spot. Still, they see the effort as worth it: They get to do what they love as a career while serving their country.

Here are five percussion alums who landed one of those rare seats in a premier ensemble. Read on to learn more about their journey from Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ to the armed forces, and where they see their lives beyond the military.

Technical Sgt. Jacob Kight ’15

Technical Sgt. Jacob Kight joined the United States Air Force Band in 2021 as a percussionist with the Ceremonial Brass at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling in Washington, D.C. Kight received a bachelor’s in music from Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ in 2015. He was awarded a master’s in music in 2017 and a doctorate in music degree in 2020 from Florida State University. Before joining the Air Force Band, Kight served as the director of percussion studies at the University of South Florida (USF)and principal percussionist for the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra. One of his most recent high-profile performances includes playing percussion with the Joint Armed Forces Color Guard at Super Bowl 59 this year.

Main Mission: Enhance the image and culture of the U.S. Air Force through ceremonial performances, including funerals at Arlington National Cemetery, presidential inaugurations, flight arrivals for foreign dignitaries, presidential parades and more.

Musical Beginnings

I was raised in a musical household. Both of my parents have music degrees, and my mother was a music teacher, so I have been surrounded by music for as long as I can remember.

Going for It

When I graduated from Florida State, COVID-19 hit and pretty much all in-person auditions halted. That summer, I needed a job, so I applied everywhere, including Home Depot and Starbucks. Luckily, a position opened for percussion director at USF, and I took it.

In February 2021, when I saw auditions for military bands were open again, I flew to Washington, D.C, auditioned in the morning, flew back to Florida and was teaching the next day. A week later, I was notified that I got the job, and I told the department chair at USF that I wouldn’t be returning the following year.

A Knight’s Training

I wouldn’t be where I am now without having gone through the percussion program at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½. I think the curriculum is one of the best out there, especially for musicians interested in military bands. We covered all major areas of percussion. Most percussionists in military bands are expected to perform in many different ensembles and styles of music, and studying at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ prepared me for that.

Looking Ahead

I would love to run a business as my retirement job. I want to create a one-stop shop for all things percussion: selling and servicing instruments, private lessons and an ensemble rehearsal studio for students. A lot of young people don’t have the ability to have percussion instruments at home, so it will be a place for students to come after school and practice their skills.

Staff Sgt. Steven Estes ’20

Staff Sgt. Steven Estes holds a bachelor’s in music in percussion performance from Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ and began a master’s in music at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University before joining the United States Army Field Band in 2021. During his time at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½, he performed in various ensembles, focusing on orchestral percussion and jazz. He was also a member of the Flying Horse Big Band, Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½â€™s premier jazz ensemble.

Main Mission: Perform for audiences nationwide and abroad, building public support for the armed forces and contributing to global diplomatic efforts.

Musical Beginnings

What got me into drumming was the marching band. I thought the drumline was really cool. I worked hard at drumming, and it started to feel like something I wanted to do. I didn’t see myself at a conventional job.

Going for It

I finished my first year in my master’s program at Indiana University and was accepted into the National Orchestral Institute that summer at the University of Maryland. A few weeks after the festival I had the Army Field Band audition and ended up getting it.

In the music field, you take every audition you can, so while I could have stayed at IU and finished my master’s, I thought the experience was more valuable.

A Knight’s Training

Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ is really good at getting rid of your weaknesses. The music field is very competitive. A lot of percussionists who make the finals for an orchestra or a military band are good at playing multiple instruments. Then there’s that last little thing like drum set or sight-reading, and that’s where I think Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ helped a lot. You become a more confident, well-rounded drum player, whereas if you specialize too soon, you miss out on that.

Looking Ahead

I can definitely see myself staying in the U.S. Army until I retire. I enjoy traveling, the benefits and the job stability. You also learn different skill sets. If I had a different performing job, that’s all I’d be doing. But here, you can take on different roles. You can be a producer for a show. You can put together a program. You can write the script for shows that have narration and videos. So being in a military band makes you a more marketable musician.

Staff Sgt. Mitchell Gribbroek ’15

Staff Sgt. Mitchell Gribbroek earned a bachelor’s in music from Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ and a master’s in music degree from Florida State University. While pursuing a graduate diploma from the New England Conservatory, he won a section position with the Virginia Symphony, where he performed until joining the Army Field Band in 2019. Gribbroek has performed with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Boston Pops, Virginia Opera, Orlando Philharmonic, Gulf Coast Symphony, Tallahassee Symphony and more.

Main Mission: Build positive connections with the public and foster support for the armed forces through compelling music performances.

Musical Beginnings

I’ve been interested in drums since I was a little kid. I started drum set lessons when I was 8 and quit after a year or so, but picked it back up when I joined the band in middle school. I really liked the drumline in high school. A lot of my friends in the class ahead of me were majoring in music at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½, so I knew it was a good program. Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ was the only place I auditioned and the only place I wanted to go.

Going for It

My wife is also a percussionist, so we were looking for a job in the same area. But it’s rare for two percussionists to find full-time work in the same city. That’s what drew us to military bands. In Washington, D.C., there’s a big concentration of all these performance gigs in one place, so we thought our chances were probably best to try to go for a military band career. I think it took five tries before I finally got offered a position with the Army Field Band.

A Knight’s Training

Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ has a phenomenal percussion program. Having a well-rounded experience with all the different facets of percussion made me more marketable for my master’s program. For military bands, especially, drum set experience and world percussion can be a huge differentiator, and that was a big advantage I had from going to Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½.

Looking Ahead

I recently had two incredible opportunities with the Army. One was using the G.I. Bill to get my pilot license, so that’s something I am considering doing after I retire from the military band. I am also in the later stages of building our website as one of my auxiliary duties. Web design and coding are things I had no experience with. But the Army has paid for different certifications and trainings to help me develop this site — and those are additional marketable skills I have now, thanks to this job.

Technical Sgt. Christopher Baird ’18

Technical Sgt. Christopher Baird is a percussionist with the Ceremonial Brass for the United States Air Force Band. Before joining the Air Force in 2023, he performed with the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra, Northwest Florida Symphony and Sinfonia Gulf Coast, among others. Baird earned a bachelor’s in music in performance from Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½. He also earned a master’s in music in percussion performance and a doctorate in music from Florida State University.

Main Mission: Honor service members, inspire patriotism among the public and represent all airmen during various ceremonial events, including arrival of heads of state, state funerals and presidential inaugural parades.

Musical Beginnings

I played percussion in middle school because I thought it was one of the cooler instruments. It was always the thing I looked forward to. I was fortunate that I went to a strong high school music program. All the staff created a positive environment where students wanted to learn. That inspired me to pursue teaching as a potential career. I wanted to share that excitement with other students.

Going for It

While I was still in my doctorate program, the Air Force put out an ad for a fellowship that gives musicians the opportunity to know what it’s like to be in an Air Force band for a couple days. I loved the program and learned a lot about ceremonial bands.

When I returned to my doctorate program that fall, a friend gave me the heads-up that someone was going to be retiring in the Air Force Ceremonial Brass and there would be auditions soon. I auditioned, skipping the preliminary rounds, thanks to my fellowship, and got the job. From there, things moved quickly. I graduated with my doctorate on May 5, 2023, and left for basic training May 8, 2025. The fellowship program was really what motivated me to pursue the military band. Getting to rehearse with a professional band like that was a life-changing experience.

A Knight’s Training

Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ has a very structured curriculum where you’re studying different instruments each semester. All the different levels you learn in the curriculum are super applicable to auditions because they are all instruments that you have to know — and know how to play well. Had I not gone through the Percussion Studio and learned the fundamentals, there’s a chance I probably would not have gotten this job.

Looking Ahead

I definitely plan on staying in the military for a while. I would like to familiarize myself with different areas of administrative work, but I also want to continue playing and moving up the ranks. I was recently hired as a sponsor to help onboard new band members. And that’s something I’m really looking forward to — helping people get excited about being here but also helping them get through the scary parts of basic training.

Staff Sgt. Theodore Jackson ’20

In 2020, Staff Sgt. Theodore Jackson earned his bachelor’s in music in percussion performance from Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½, where he was a two-time winner of the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ School of Performing Arts Excellence Competition. He went on to complete his master’s degree in percussion performance in 2022 at the Indiana University (IU) Jacobs School of Music. During his time at IU, he served as an associate instructor of percussion and regularly performed with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. In 2023, Jackson became a percussionist with the West Point Band at the United States Military Academy.

Main Mission: Fulfill official musical requirements for the U.S. Military Academy, including military and patriotic ceremonies, public concerts, sporting events and social activities for the Corps of Cadets and the West Point community.

Musical Beginnings

I joined the drumline in high school, and that’s when I knew drumming would be my life.

What drew me to the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ Percussion Studio were the faculty and the curriculum. It’s a very regimented program. I knew by the time I finished I would be able to play all these different types of styles and instruments.

Going for It

Military bands sometimes use blind auditions, which help ensure anonymity and fairness. Throughout the audition you’re asked to play many different prepared pieces, as well as sight read music that you haven’t seen before. I had to do that four or five times for my auditions. You have to be versatile because in the military you wear a ton of different hats.

A Knight’s Training

Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ gave me the knowledge and skills to never say no to a gig. I also really appreciated how well Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ prepared me for grad school. I had to show how well-rounded I was in my audition, and I wouldn’t have been able to do that if it weren’t for the curriculum at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½.

Looking Ahead

I have a gig that allows me to keep getting better and gives me the time to do that. That’s the best thing about this job. Percussion is such an intense, competitive field that you’re always focused on getting better. I can’t think of anything else I’d rather be doing than playing drums.

“You are my 1K graduates,â€� Deborah German, vice president of health affairs and founding dean, told the Class of 2023. “I couldn’t be prouder of the work you have done. When I came here in 2006 to build this medical school, it was hard to even imagine graduating 100 Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½-trained physicians. And look where we are now.â€�

In deciding how to recognize the milestone, medical school leaders didn’t want to analyze lists of graduates to pick one individual as the thousandth, German says, because with few exceptions, everyone in the class had gone through their medical education journey together.

“You received your white coats together…You entered your clerkships together where you delivered your first baby, participated in your first surgery, counseled your first psychiatric patient,� she says. “Together you cared for others during a worldwide pandemic…Our community is healthier today because of the work you did together.

“Your entire class — each and every one of you — are the thousandth graduate in my heart.�

After the last of the 123 new Physician Knights received their diploma, German asked for a round of applause and then — unbeknownst to the students — black and gold streamers fell from the ceiling.

After that celebration, the ceremony included the military promotion of , the 39th Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ military officer to become a Physician Knight.

The new physicians will go onto residency training at top hospitals around the city, state and nation in specialties that include pediatrics, internal, family and emergency medicine, OB-GYN, surgery and anesthesiology. A record 12 graduates matched into psychiatry, saying they want to help address the nation’s mental health challenges.

Asked why they had chosen the and the graduates’ answers were remarkably similar: the people. They talked about the medical school’s collaborative, supportive, engaging “vibe,� how faculty and staff were committed to helping students achieve their dreams. They talked about the unique opportunity to build a young medical school and a growing Medical City at Lake Nona.

Amy Morrison did her undergraduate work at Cornell and after graduating from Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½, she will enter a general surgery residency at Orlando Health.

“I felt like I fit in from the first time I walked in the building,â€� she says of Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½. “I met my best friend during my admissions interview. And I was inspired to be part of growing a Medical City.â€�

Sarah Baker entered medical school at age 41, after having three children and working in public health in Florida’s Lee County. With her M.D., she is returning home to Southwest Florida to do her residency in internal medicine at NCH Healthcare System. As part of commencement, she gave her children certificates of appreciation for their love and support during her journey. “This diploma belongs to them and my husband as much as it does to me,â€� she says. Baker says the medical school’s culture supported her as a student with more life experience than most. “I never felt nontraditional at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½,â€� she says. “Everyone in this class is my family.â€�

Yanisa Del Toro is medical director of , the College of Medicine’s clinical practice, and as a Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ faculty member, she leads internal medicine clerkship training at the clinic and also is an advisor and mentor to students. She served as grand marshal for commencement and helped hood each of the doctoral candidates before they received their diplomas. As she did, many of the graduates stopped and hugged her. “That’s because so many have passed through my hands,â€� she says.

The collaboration involves , a direct support organization at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½, Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½â€™s (MVS2) and Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½â€™s (CEL). Together, they will focus on increasing access to internship opportunities located at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½â€™s main campus, providing better access to training opportunities for advanced manufacturing equipment, and augmenting support for the entrepreneurial aspirations for students with a veteran status.

At Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½, the student-veteran and military-affiliated student population is estimated to be 1,900 strong on campus. Additionally, Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ received a military friendly silver award for the 2022-23 school year, recognizing the university’s ability to help veterans succeed in the classroom and the real world.

“Advanced manufacturing continues to grow at a rapid pace throughout Central Florida,â€� says MVS2 Director Michael Kepner ’19MA. “This collaboration is the perfect next step in developing a talent-pipeline of student veterans to meet the workforce needs of our partners. This partnership with Limbitless provides our student veterans with the technical skills they need to unleash their potential and fill this critical requirement.â€�

Kepner is an U.S. Army retiree and joined Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ in July 2022.

Limbitless Solutions has partnerships with key industry partners for advanced manufacturing — including Autodesk (design software) and Stratasys (3D printer manufacturing) and Tormach (CNC machinery manufacturer).

Last year, Limbitless Solutions opened a new research facility dedicated to bionics research, advanced manufacturing and undergraduate student research development in Research Park. The facility has more than 5,000-square-feet of space near Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½â€™s main campus, making it accessible for students by the Pegasus Express campus shuttle.

The machinery at the advanced manufacturing facilities includes computer numerical control (CNC) milling and lathe machines, large 3D printers, laser cutters, vacuum thermoforming, and a full range of automotive painting equipment.

“Limbitless Solutions is excited to announce this new collaborative effort with MVS2 and CEL to provide opportunities for advanced manufacturing and entrepreneurship for student veterans,� says Limbitless Solutions Executive Director Albert Manero ’12 ’14MS ’16PhD. “Not only will this support advancing our work for pediatric and adult focused bionic arms, but it will also provide opportunities that can unleash the potential of our students.�

Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½â€™s Blackstone LaunchPad program, an initiative offered by Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½â€™s Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership, is transforming students from all backgrounds and majors into entrepreneurial leaders who understand how to create and deliver new solutions to important problems.

Students who are interested in pursuing any venture — social or otherwise — are encouraged to visit the Blackstone LaunchPad on the first floor of the Student Union to get free, confidential, one-on-one coaching from an expert startup mentor.

“We support students from all majors who are freelancers, side-hustlers, innovators or future founders, and we are excited about supporting student veterans who are interested in creating their own economic opportunities,â€� says Cameron Ford, founding director of Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½â€™s Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership.

An estimated 500 to 600 students have met with startup mentors in the Blackstone LaunchPad annually since it opened in 2013. Volunteers from the business community help students learn how to create opportunities, design solutions, develop business models, and launch startup ventures.

For more information on how to access these resources, visit and .

The person giving those orders onstage at the Addition Financial Arena was Richard Peppler, vice dean and associate dean for faculty and academic affairs, a retired Army Colonel with 35 years of service in the Army Reserve.

Peppler has given the military oath to Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ Physician Knights for the past eight years. He retires in June after 14 years leading medical education at the College of Medicine. This year’s military students are in the U.S. Navy and Air Force and will do their residency training in military hospitals across the country.

“After 35 years in the military, it’s nice to see the physicians of today still want to serve their country and provide care to our veterans and their families.� — Vice Dean Richard Peppler

“I can’t think of anyone who better embodies the traits of integrity, service and pursuit of excellence that overlap when it comes to being a physician and a military officer,� says Jeff LaRochelle, assistant dean for medical education and a Colonel in the Air Force Reserves who also participated in the pinning ceremony.

Peppler, who attended a military prep school starting in the ninth grade, says military service taught him discipline and organization. He jokes that he still makes his bed every morning.

A lifelong medical educator, Peppler was the second person hired at the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ College of Medicine in 2007. He holds a Ph.D. in anatomy and taught first-year students in the college’s state-of-the-art Anatomy Lab.

He’s superstitious so he won’t call Friday’s pinning ceremony his last — saying he may pin a niece or nephew at some point after retirement.

“After 35 years in the military,� he says, “it’s nice to see the physicians of today still want to serve their country and provide care to our veterans and their families.�

They both come from military families. They both want to become teachers someday. And they both are among the 18 Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ students currently serving in the U.S. military while also pursuing degrees through Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ Online.

The United States has more than 1.3 million active-duty military service members and millions of veterans. Thanks to the flexibility, convenience and affordability that online-degree programs can offer, many of these men and women have the opportunity to pursue a college education while enlisted or when they finish their service.

In 2018, Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ Online placed among the top 15 universities in the country for online undergraduate programs for veterans, according to U.S. News & World Report.

Part of Something Bigger

Veterans Day has been an important day for Riley and her family for as long as she can remember. Her grandfather and father served in the Navy, and every year her mother stressed the importance of remembering their service.

“Now we have social media and FaceTime, but it was snail mail back then. I feel like they gave up a lot more than what I have because contact with their family was a lot more limited,� she says.

Riley never pictured herself enlisting in the military until her older sister joined the Air Force. She says when her sister was deployed to Iraq, she saw and heard her sister’s stories of volunteering with Iraqi children and supporting the local population.

“It really inspired me and showed me I could do good elsewhere, not just in Central Minnesota,� says Riley, who now is a technical training instructor for Air Force Emergency Management in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. “I wanted to be part of something bigger than myself. I saw I could go out and have an impact throughout the world.�

Her call to serve was strong, but she equally wanted a college education and had a passion for studying history. She hadn’t heard of Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ Online until her husband found its undergraduate history program through an internet search.

She applied in Fall 2016 but delayed enrolling in classes until Summer 2017 after she learned she would be deployed to Qatar for six and a half months. She hasn’t missed a semester of class since.

“The biggest thing my mentors have told me is, ‘Once you get started, don’t stop. Don’t take a break because that break will turn into years.’ So that’s what I’ve held myself to,� she says. “I make sure I’m enrolled in at least one class every semester. I’m not going to be taking a break until I’m done with my degree.�

Making It Happen

The grandson of a World War II veteran and the nephew of two uncles who served in the Navy, Christiansen followed in their footsteps and enlisted in the Navy in 2009, hoping the decision would lead to more opportunities in life.

He is now assigned with the Marine Corps at the Charles Luke Milam Clinic on Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, as a hospital corpsman. In his role, he administers regular patient visits, not unlike a typical doctor’s office, and field trainings where they provide medical coverage in situations including live fire shooting, demolition and strenuous physical training.

Christiansen says he always expected to earn a degree but his path just took a little longer than expected. He says he found renewed motivation after he watched his wife return to school to complete her degree despite finishing classes while being hospitalized.

“If she was able to finish given all of that, I had no excuse to not be getting after it,� he says. “Upon graduation, my options in and out of the Navy grow exponentially.�

As a native of Oviedo, he was familiar with Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ and says it was an easy decision to enroll in the interdisciplinary studies program. He’s been taking two to three classes per semester while working full time and caring for his family. He is on track to graduate in 2020 and is considering pursuing a graduate degree before trying his hand at teaching.

“I have always enjoyed being in a teaching role, and it seems like a challenging yet rewarding profession,� he says.

Although time management can be a challenge, Riley and Christiansen say the experience of taking courses at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ has been worth it. And they urge other service members to go for it if a college degree is something they’re considering.

“Just keep pushing and you’ll get it done. It’s going to be hard, but it will all be worth it in the end,� says Riley.

Christiansen echoes: “Find a college that will work with your schedule and meet your needs and make it happen.�

At the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½, the Veterans Academic Resource Center (VARC) eases the way for students who have served their country, providing a one-stop-shop of services to help them succeed.

“From beginning to end, we work with our veterans to make sure their transition is as smooth as possible during their entire time here,� said VARC program coordinator Joshua “JJ� Johnson.

For the roughly 1,500 student-veterans who attend Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½, VARC provides everything from career counseling and tutoring to coffee and social activities.

That support is a key reason Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ has earned a spot on the Military Times’ “Best for Vetsâ€� college list, and been named a Military Friendly® School by Victory Media.

“Here at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½, they do a really good job,â€� said graduate student Mike Arp, a U.S. Air Force veteran. “They really help student veterans not be a statistic and not fall through the cracks.â€�

It starts before student-veterans set foot in their first class. Veterans start their Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ orientation in the VARC offices on East Plaza Drive by CFE Arena. There, a team led by assistant registrar Bethany Glassbrenner cuts through the red tape by helping fill out Veterans Administration forms to take advantage of GI Bill educational benefits that can cover tuition and housing. Part of her team is made up of Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ VA work-study students – most of whom are veterans themselves.

VARC, which is run by director Dr. Paul Viau, celebrates its sixth anniversary this month. When it opened in 2010, traffic was sparse. Since then, there’s been an increase in both the number of veterans who attend Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ and the number of services the university offers to support them.

Lorine Cisch-Taylor assists with student veterans’ transfer to Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½, advocates for disabled veterans and provides career counseling.

“The first semester I was here, I had about six people physically come into my office the whole semester,� she said. “Now I see about six a day. We have exponentially increased traffic.�

Within Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½â€™s student-veteran population for Fall 2016, most have transferred with credits earned from a state college or the military. Some 74 percent are men and 26 percent are women. Eighty percent are undergraduates and 20 percent are graduates. Most – about 90 percent – are Florida residents. Nineteen percent attend regional campuses.

The VARC’s Vet 2 Vet Peer Mentoring Program currently has five peer mentors, who are veterans themselves. Much of their time is spent contacting the nearly 1,500 veterans at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ multiple times each semester to make sure they’re on track with their academics and making a smooth transition at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½.

When it comes to academics, student-veterans at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ have priority registration status so they can sign up for classes early. At VARC, they can find quiet study rooms, tutoring, supplemental academic advising and more.

Vets can also find camaraderie and support from others who have served. They can hang out in the VARC’s lounge, which features a TV, gaming systems, coffeemaker, microwave and refrigerator.

“We connect our veterans with advising, transfer student services, counseling, the registrar’s office – whatever they need,� Johnson said. “We’re all very passionate about what we do.�

Yarvis is a decorated officer, a published scholar with a doctorate and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. He currently serves as chief of the Department of Social Work at Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center in Fort Hood, Texas.

Approximately 75 military veterans, students, and social work alumni and practitioners gathered to hear him speak at the “Subtleties of Trauma Spectrum Disordersâ€� workshop offered Nov. 6 by the and College of Health and Public Affairs Alumni Chapter.

Yarvis shared data and statistics on U.S. veteran populations, and he showed video clips to illustrate changes in attitudes toward soldiers who are traumatized or grieving. He spoke extensively about the impact of war-related stress on veterans and their families.

“About 80 percent of returning veterans will exhibit some changes in behavior,� Yarvis said. “Those who are deployed more than once have a greater chance of a clinical diagnosis.�

Some returning veterans experience symptoms commonly associated with traumatic stress, such as fear, anxiety, grief, depression and sleep disturbance. A smaller number exhibit Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, which may include physical symptoms and always includes these symptoms: 1) re-experiencing trauma, such as nightmares and flashbacks; 2) avoidance, such as feelings of numbness and detachment; and 3) arousal, such as anger and hypervigilance.

“These are very complex issues for mental health care givers to negotiate,� Yarvis said. “It’s hard to quantitate these symptoms, and they manifest themselves differently in different people.�

Yarvis described his own behavioral changes when he returned home from deployment. He exhibited risky and aberrant behavior, became easily frustrated, and turned to alcohol to deal with his insomnia. Several participants said they found his candidness quite helpful.

“He spoke your language,â€� said Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ student Lyndon Ortiz, a senior in social work and U.S. Marines veteran who served in Iraq until he was injured.

Yarvis is encouraged to see military social work coming into its own as a profession. “I love that Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ has a military program,â€� he said, referring to Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½â€™s program, which prepares master’s degree-level social workers to help veterans and their families.

Social work senior Kristopher Vite plans to enroll in the program while pursuing his master’s degree in social work at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½. He is a U.S. Army veteran, and like Ortiz he served in Iraq until he was injured. Both Vite and Ortiz aim to become Licensed Clinical Social Workers so they can work with veterans like themselves.

U.S. Air Force veteran and Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ alumnus Charlie Antoni (B.S.W., ’95) is already on the front lines, working as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and palliative care coordinator for the Orlando VA Medical Center. He is educating local physicians and nurses, and he is developing networks of community support that he will help place at the new VA hospital in Lake Nona.

Also on the front lines is U.S. Army veteran Richard Whitten, who works as a peer-support specialist at the Daytona Beach Vet Center. “A lot of the homeless vets I meet have PTSD symptoms, but it’s hard to convince them to come in for help,� he said. “I’ve learned a lot today that I can take back with me.�

Yarvis concluded his nearly three-hour presentation by commending the participants. “What you are doing is incredibly important,” he said. “You are helping veterans grieve and return to their lives.â€�

Minutes after receiving her diploma, she replaced her robe with her military uniform and was sworn in by associate professor Dr. Jose Borrero, himself an Air Force veteran. As she left the stage, Casey received a salute from junior medical school officers.

“It means so much,� she said of the military honor incorporated into commencement. “When I came to the steps and saw them saluting, it was the first time I teared up at graduation. I was so proud.�

DeDeugd is the first graduate of the medical school’s Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP), where students serve a year of active military service in exchange for each year of full scholarship funding. The College of Medicine has students in all branches of the military – Army, Navy and Air Force — and many of the officers are women.

Dr. Borrero will retire from teaching this month and said giving Casey her captain’s bars was “a deserving recognition for her and an honor for me.� A former flight surgeon, Dr. Borrero was on stage as Casey processed into the Venue with other graduates for commencement. “I looked down and saw her walk in,� he said. “She looked straight, she looked sharp. That’s the way it should be.�

During her orthopedics rotation last summer, Casey worked at the Center for the Intrepid at San Antonio Military Medical Center, a research and treatment facility for war veterans with limb amputations. In June, she begins her residency training in orthopedic surgery at the renowned Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. She’ll complete her military service after that.

“The military values hard work and being disciplined and those are values I’ve tried to emulate since I was a child,� she said after graduation. “Today I was double excited to graduate with my M.D. degree and celebrate that with my military family.�

To view a video version of this story, please visit  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6j2TIXQkFCI