Service and Selflessness: Saint Mary’s Honors Veterans with Week-long Slate of Events
November 6–10, SMC celebrates those who have served in the armed forces. Events include a flag-raising ceremony, a literary event, recognition at the Men’s Basketball game, and a campus-wide barbecue.
A renewed sense of appreciation for Saint Mary’s military-affiliated students, veterans, and their families has led to a robust schedule of “Veterans Week” activities on campus the week of November 6, culminating with a Veterans Day flag-raising ceremony and campus-wide barbecue taking place on Friday, Nov. 10. Veterans Day is formally recognized nationwide on Saturday, Nov. 11.
“I have many roles here on campus but first and foremost, I am a veteran,” says Kindra Stewart, MFA ’24. She also serves as academic resources manager for Veterans and Graduate Student Support Services. “It’s very important to me to use my position as both a Saint Mary’s student and employee to advocate and build a community for the other veterans and military-affiliated Gaels on campus,” she says. Stewart served for two years in the U.S. Air Force before receiving a medical discharge in 2020. She’s now working on her graduate degree in creative writing.
“Veterans Day is a time for us to honor those who serve or have served in our armed forces, and I’m happy we have so many opportunities throughout the week to do so,” says Brother Thomas Jones, FSC, Interim President at Saint Mary’s. “Our veterans deserve our profound respect and gratitude for all they and their families have sacrificed on our nation’s behalf.” In honor of the occasion, Brother Thomas announced an early closure of campus for most Saint Mary’s faculty and staff on Friday, Nov. 10, at 2 p.m., following the campus barbecue.
“Our veterans deserve our profound respect and gratitude for all they and their families have sacrificed on our nation’s behalf.”
“While we can never fully repay our debt, we honor our veteran and military-affiliated community every day,” Brother Thomas says. “I’m looking forward to this upcoming Veterans Week, which gives us a wonderful opportunity to express our gratitude to those who have donned the uniform.”
Veterans Week Events
Those eager to celebrate with Saint Mary’s veterans and military-affiliated Gaels during Veterans Week have a range of options:
Monday, November 6 | 2–4 p.m.
A regular feature on campus, this special Crafternoons event—co-sponsored by the SMC Library and Veteran Support Services—will have a veterans theme. Crafty participants are encouraged to make a thank-you card or poster for SMC veterans or use their imagination to create a thank-you piece of their choice.
Tuesday, November 7 | 3:30–5 p.m.
At this private event at the 1928 Pub, veterans and military-affiliated Gaels on campus will be honored for their service. Free appetizers and drink tickets will be provided to qualifying attendees. Those planning on attending are encouraged to scan the QR code (found on the Events page listing) to RSVP.
Thank You For Your Service: A Literary Event
Wednesday, November 8 | 12–1 p.m.
At this event sponsored by Veterans Support Services and the Creative Writing department, members of the campus community can listen to literary works of fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. The works featured at the event are written by veterans of the armed forces and presented by Saint Mary's students.
Men’s Basketball Game: Veterans Appreciation Night
Thursday, November 9 | 7–10 p.m.
Veterans, military-affiliated Gaels, and their families will take center stage while being recognized and honored at the Men’s Basketball game against the University of New Mexico. SMC military-affiliated Gaels can RSVP for a guest ticket and free T-shirt by contacting Kindra Stewart at kcs14@stmarys-ca.edu. All are welcome and encouraged to come out and show support while cheering on Gaels basketball!
Friday, November 10 | 11–11:30 a.m.
The SMC community is invited to observe a local Honor Guard raising the American flag. The ceremony will take place at the flagpole outside Filippi Administrative Building, near the entrance to campus. Join us as we celebrate and honor all the veterans in our community for their service!
Friday, November 10 | 11:30 a.m.–2 p.m.
A campus-wide BBQ will take place on the Chapel Lawn following the 11 a.m. flag-raising ceremony. Come, enjoy some great eats, and engage with a Gael veteran or two!
Service & Leadership: Business Insights from Military Veterans
Saturday, November 11 | 11 a.m.
Celebrate Veterans Day by heading over to Brother Urban Gregory Hall and the Matt Rogers Innovation Hub to hear from an accomplished and inspiring panel of military veterans. Panelists include veterans now working for companies like Ambient.ai., Silicon Labs, and the U.S. Attorney's Office.
EXPLORE MORE: Learn about SMC”s Veterans Support Services and the resources it provides.
Read about veterans and transfer students Lucas Maas ’24 and Mike Pineda ’24.