Honors Awards
Nominate a fellow student veteran, chapter or chapter advisor to receive an award at NatCon.
Student Veterans of America Honors
SVA is proud to recognize outstanding chapters, advisors, and student veterans through our annual Honors Awards process. The 2025 honors nomination process will open in the fall.
*Nominations should include highlights from January 2025 to present. To be eligible to receive an SVA honor award, nominees (or, for Chapter of the Year, at least one chapter member or advisor) must be present at the 18th Annual NatCon in Colorado Springs, CO where recipients will be announced.
2024 Student Veteran of the Year - Ralph Figueroa, California State University, San Bernardino
Student Veteran of the Year
Multiple nominations for the same nominee are accepted; must be a student veteran. Nominators will be asked to describe:
- Any academic honors or awards earned by the nominee.
- How the nominee has displayed exceptional leadership qualities and a commitment to serving others, both within the student veteran community and the broader society.
- How the nominee has made a positive impact on the lives of fellow student veterans or the veteran community.
Chapter of the Year
Only one application per chapter is necessary. Nominators will be asked to describe:
- How the chapter has fostered a high level of engagement, involvement, and community-building within their chapter, on campus/with other campus organizations, and in the larger, military-affiliated community.
- How the chapter has made an impact on the lives of student veterans and the broader veteran community.
- Up to six examples of chapter programs, events, or projects that best showcase the chapter’s impact.
2024 Chapter of the Year - Veterans of Baylor, Baylor University
2024 Chapter Advisor of the Year - Jon Segars, Student Veterans Association at University of Georgia
Chapter Advisor of the Year
Multiple nominations for the same nominee are accepted. Nominators will be asked to describe how the advisor has:
- Provided exceptional support and guidance to student veterans within their chapter.
- Played a crucial role in the development and success of the chapter, demonstrating the ability to effectively lead and mentor chapter leaders, encourage collaboration, and promote chapter growth.
- Demonstrated active engagement with the larger Student Veterans of America organization, showcasing a commitment to staying connected with the wider network of student veterans and utilizing available resources and support systems.
Partners in Excellence
These awards recognize partners who integrate the mission of SVA into their own work, championing student veterans above and beyond their own call of duty.
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Past Recipients
Student Veteran of the Year
- 2024 – Ralph Figueroa, California State University, San Bernardino
- 2023 – Angelina Trillo, Oregon State University
- 2022 – Joshua Jones, Loyola University Chicago
- 2021 – Katherine Martinez, Old Dominion University
- 2020 – Andrew Ho, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
- 2019 – Bonita Rodriguez, Pace University
- 2018 – Alexandria Sawin, Louisiana State University
- 2017 – Chris Rolph
- 2016 – Kate Tillotson, University of Tulsa
- 2015 – Brian Adams Jones
- 2014 – Sherry Shi
- 2013 – Kiersten Downs, University of South Florida
- 2012 – Not Awarded
- 2011 – Josh Lang
- 2010 – Jared Lyon, Florida State University
- 2009 – Dan Sewell
- 2008 – Rodrigo Garcia
Chapter of the Year
- 2024 – Veterans of Baylor, Baylor University
- 2023 – Marshall University Student Veterans Association
- 2022 – University of South Carolina, Student Veterans Association
- 2021 – Georgetown University
- 2020 – Clemson Student Veterans Association at Clemson University
- 2019 – Colorado State University
- 2018 – Louisiana State University
- 2017 – Western Oregon University
- 2016 – Washington University in Saint Louis
- 2015 – University of Houston
- 2014 – Marywood University
- 2013 – University of Colorado Denver
- 2012 – Not Awarded
- 2011 – Northeastern University
- 2010 – University of Wisconsin-Madison
- 2009 – University of Arizona
- 2008 – San Diego State University
Chapter Advisor of the Year
- 2024 – Jon Segars, Student Veterans Association at University of Georgia
- 2023 – Denny Cosmo, Bristol Community College.
- 2022 – Jill Wolfe, Grand Valley State University
- 2021 – Jason Graven, Bowling Green State University
- 2020 – Ted Barco, University of Georgia
- 2019 – Emily Ives, University of California, Los Angeles
- 2018 – Jeremiah Gunderson, The University of Texas at Austin
- 2017 – Rosalynn Johnson, University of Washington, Tacoma
- 2016 – Ross Bryant, University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV)
- 2015 – Greg Scargall, Santa Fe Community College
Partners in Excellence
- 2024 – Edelman, Fiserv, Johnson & Johnson, LinkedIn, Lockheed Martin, RTX
- 2023 – Boeing, Comcast NBCUniversal, Johnson & Johnson, LinkedIn, Lockheed Martin, The Walt Disney Company, Vehicles for Veterans
- 2022 – Boeing, Comcast NBCUniversal, Fiserv, Hiring Our Heroes, LinkedIn, Microsoft, Prudential Financial, PwC Charitable Foundation, RTX (formally Raytheon Technologies), The Walt Disney Company, Wounded Warrior Project
- 2021 – BP, Comcast, Fiserv, Microsoft, RTX (formerly Raytheon), The Walt Disney Company, Wounded Warrior Project
- 2020 – Accenture, Comcast NBCUniversal, Fiserv, LinkedIn, Lockheed Martin, Prudential, RTX (formerly Raytheon)
President's Service Award
- 2024 – Shawn Moore, Casper College (1,300 hours)
- 2023 – Christian Smith, Fordham University
Daniel J. Edelman Corporate Champion of the Year
- 2024 – The Walt Disney Company
- 2023 – RTX
- 2022 – Boeing
- 2021 – Comcast NBCUniversal
- 2020 – PwC Charitable Foundation
- 2019 – The Walt Disney Company
Dwight D. Eisenhower Distinguished Public Service Award
- 2024 – Joseph Garcia, Department of Veteran Affairs
- 2023 – Maureen Elias, Department of Veteran Affairs
- 2022 – Sue Fulton, Assistant Secretary, Office of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs (OPIA)
- 2021 – Kayla Williams, Senior Advisor at Office of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs, VA
- 2021 – Not Awarded
- 2020 – The Honorable Patrick J. Murphy
- 2019 – Jason Beardsley
- 2018 – Matthew Miller
Senator Bob Dole Continued Service Award
- 2024 – Hiring Our Heroes
Sonny Montgomery Student Veteran Champion Award
- 2024 – Senator Angus King, Senator Brian Schatz, and Senator Mike Rounds
- 2023 – Rep. Michael Bost, Illinois’ 12th Congressional District and Rep. Mark Takano, California’s 39th District
- 2022 – Rep. Michael Levin, California’s 49th Congressional District and Rep. Barry Moore, Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District
- 2021 – Senator Jerry Moran and Senator Jon Tester
- 2020 – The Honorable Susie Lee and Denver Riggleman, U.S. House of Representatives
- 2019 – Rep. Jodey Arrignton and Rep. Mark Takano
- 2017 – Chairman Phil Roe and Rep Tim Walz
- 2016 – Not Awarded
- 2015 – Chairman Jeff Miller (FL-1; RET.)
William Pearson Tolley Champion for Veterans in Higher Education
- 2024 – Columbia University Center for Veteran Transition and Integration
- 2023 – The Texas A&M University System
- 2022 – University of South Carolina
- 2021 – Chancellor Daniel T. Allison, Fayetteville State University
- 2020 – Dr. Philomena V. Mantella, President of Grand Valley State University
- 2019 – Dr. Gerard P. Clancy, President of The University of Tulsa
- 2018 – Dr. Tony Frank, Colorado State University
- 2017 – Not Awarded
- 2016 – Not Awarded
- 2015 – Kent Syverud, Syracuse University