MURFREESBORO — Like
many of her younger MTSU student veteran peers, Jemekia Young-Weeden has gone
the extra mile to graduate.
Not only have Young-Weeden and the others served their
country during a time of military conflict in the Middle East, they have
striven to earn a college degree while holding down jobs and maintaining
families since their time of service ended.
The university recognized nearly 25 of 90 student veterans
planning to graduate Saturday, Dec. 10, during the sixth Stole Ceremony, held
Monday (Nov. 28) in the Tom H. Jackson Building’s Cantrell Hall.
To view video from the ceremony, visithttps://youtu.be/H9A_tCMBKwY.
Since May 2015, MTSU has honored its graduating student veterans
with a formal ceremony in front of family, friends and university
administrators.
Young-Weeden, 44, a criminal justice major, is a wife to
U.S. Army Afghanistan War veteran Marquis Weeden and mother of three children
ages 11 to 5 months. The infant, Aneika, was born June 23, altering her
mother’s summer class schedule, which, in turn, altered her fall class load to
the tune of 20 hours in order to graduate.
Holding up the red stole with both hands, Young-Weeden said
“this means everything (to me) today. It is a part of me that has been missing
for a while.”
“When digging in and studying — and all the craziness
building up to graduation — sometimes you forget about yourself,” added
Young-Weeden, who left the U.S. Army as a disabled veteran with post traumatic
stress disorder, or PTSD, with the rank of E3 (private first class).
“You think back to basic training and all those things you
remember doing that they taught you in the military,” she said. “The
representation of them is here today.”
Young-Weeden’s job was as a petroleum supply specialist
cross-trained in logistics and environmental protection.
Keith M. Huber, senior adviser for veterans and leadership
initiatives and retired U.S. Army lieutenant general, and MTSU interim provost
Mark Byrnes shared remarks.
Among those attending one of the largest stole ceremonies to
date were Jeff Davidson, deputy mayor for Rutherford County; retired U.S. Army
Brig. Gen. and MTSU alumnus David Ogg; Brian James and James Ervin of Barrett
Firearms; Chinh Brown, Steve Clayton, Todd Thiel and Fran Jones with
Bridgestone and Tomeka Cain with the Veterans Affairs.
For more on the assistance offered by the Charlie and Hazel
Daniels Veterans and Military Family Center, call 615-904-8347 or visit http://mtsu.edu/military/index.php.
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