Next week, the University of Washington will honor the people of our community — and country — who have served and sacrificed as members of the United States armed forces. Our veteran students, faculty, staff, alumni and family members are vital contributors to our community of learning, discovery and service, and we are proud to recognize and celebrate them at our annual Veterans Day Ceremony on Friday, Nov. 11. I invite you to join us for this ceremony at the Medal of Honor Memorial at the UW in Seattle and to participate in Veterans Appreciation Week events across our three campuses in the days leading up to the ceremony.
At Friday’s ceremony we will also recognize this year’s Distinguished Alumni Veteran Award (DAVA) recipient: Michael T. Kilmer, ’01, ’04. Michael earned his bachelor’s degree from UW Tacoma, and his Master of Social Work from the UW in Seattle. He is a 15-year veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard and now serves his fellow veterans as director of the Veterans Affairs Eastern Colorado Health Care System, where he helps ensure that veterans receive the kind of integrated, patient-focused care that leads to better health outcomes.
To everyone in our community who has served or is serving, we are grateful to you. Your University is here to support you in your educational journey and to be a welcoming place where you can thrive inside and outside the classroom. You bring so much to the UW community, and if you need support, you will find it on all three campuses: at the Office of Student Veteran Life in Seattle, the Veteran and Military Resource Center at UW Tacoma, and Veterans Services at UW Bothell. This Veterans Day, we are proud to celebrate you and all those who have served the United States with honor.