Student Veterans Giving Away Their Challenge Coins

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Media contact: Terry Goodrich, (254) 710-3321
WACO, Texas (Nov. 22, 2016) — Baylor University student veterans and the Veteran Educational and Transition Services (VETS) program hosted a banquet on Nov. 17 for faculty, staff and other students who have gone above and beyond in support of the veterans' academic journeys.
Each year, student veterans are provided with challenge coins to give to members of the University community who have shown great support to these veterans during their time at Baylor. The recipients then attend a banquet in their honor to celebrate that support.
"The Military Challenge Coin is an extremely coveted military tradition that dates back to World War I and beyond. The tradition now goes that a coin (usually containing the unit's insignia of the giver of the coin) is given to individuals who have displayed above-and-beyond dedication to supporting that individual or mission," said Kevin R. Davis, B.A. '12, veteran of the United States Marine Corps and VETS program manager.

VETS was founded by Janet Bagby, Ph.D., senior lecturer in educational psychology, in 2012 to promote the academic success of veterans at Baylor. All Baylor students who are veterans are eligible for the benefits offered through the program.

"We are so happy to now participate in this tradition at Baylor, where we have a Baylor-specific Challenge Coin," Davis said. "We gather together to celebrate these wonderful advocates who have dedicated themselves to ensuring that Baylor includes our wonderful student veterans into our community as family.

"We hope that the dedication displayed by these great advocates will be the catalyst that will launch our student veterans into their next chapters of worldwide leadership and service – wherever that may be," Davis said.

For more information on VETS and the services they offer, visit the VETS website.

For more information on the challenge coin, visit the Baylor Challenge Coin website.
by Kelsey Dehnel, student newswriter, (254) 710-6805
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