Student Veterans of America and Veterans of Foreign Wars Announce 2024–2025 Legislative Fellows
WASHINGTON, D.C. (October 9, 2024) — Student Veterans of America (SVA) and the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. (VFW) proudly announce the selection of six exceptional student veterans for the 2024–2025 VFW-SVA Legislative Fellowship program. These future leaders will travel to Washington, D.C., in early 2025 to join the VFW National Legislative Conference and advocate on behalf of America’s veterans, service members, and military-connected students.
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The fellowship is a semester-long academic experience that engages participants in research, advocacy, and legislative outreach. Each fellow develops a policy proposal addressing one of four core focus areas: veteran success in higher education, transition to civilian life, workforce integration, or access to quality health care. Fellows will present their ideas to members of Congress and receive mentorship from seasoned advocates and legislative professionals.
Following their time on Capitol Hill, fellows will return to their communities to implement a local action plan and deliver their research findings to their congressional representatives. The experience builds skills that serve veterans in their continued leadership roles both on and off campus.
The 2024–2025 VFW-SVA Legislative Fellows are:
- Jose Ayon, Army veteran – University of Southern California
- Jennifer Ross, Air Force veteran – Cornell University
- Noah Sorseth, Army veteran – George Fox University
- Casey Stege, Army veteran – Baylor University
- Terry Traylor, Marine Corps veteran – North Dakota State University
- Polina Washington, Army veteran – The University of Texas at Austin
The VFW-SVA Legislative Fellowship is part of a broader collaboration between the VFW and SVA, formalized in 2013, to empower and elevate student veterans nationwide.
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About Student Veterans of America
With a focused mission on empowering student veterans, Student Veterans of America® (SVA) is committed to providing an educational experience that goes beyond the classroom. Through a dedicated network of over 1,600 on-campus chapters in all 50 states and 4 countries representing nearly 600,000 student veterans, SVA aims to inspire yesterday’s warriors by connecting student veterans with a community of like-minded chapter leaders. Every day these passionate leaders work to provide the necessary resources, network support, and advocacy to ensure student veterans can effectively connect, expand their skills, and ultimately achieve their greatest potential. For more information, visit us at www.studentveterans.org.
About the VFW
The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. is the nation’s largest and oldest major war veterans organization. Founded in 1899, the congressionally chartered VFW is comprised entirely of eligible veterans and military service members from the active, Guard and Reserve forces. With more than 1.5 million VFW and Auxiliary members located in over 6,000 Posts worldwide, the nonprofit veterans service organization is proud to proclaim “NO ONE DOES MORE FOR VETERANS” than the VFW, which is dedicated to veterans’ service, legislative advocacy, and military and community service programs. For more information, or to join, visit our website at vfw.org.