OIR Participant Spotlight – Jordan Golden

What role has SVA played in your transition from military to student life?

“It is hard for most veterans to acclimate back into college life. You’re quite a bit older than most of the students, you have had a lot more life experience and the SVA is where I really found all my friends. It is where I really found connections and enjoyed what we were doing. It was also a community of people who understood what I was going through. It was people that were in the same boat as me, so it really helped connect college life to getting out, kind of just easing a lot of that transition over just by giving me a friend group and giving me events and stuff to do that felt like a normalized college life. In SVA, we really try to incorporate a lot of what students normally do and give them some of that normalcy, while also being a group of veterans.”

How does SVA support you academically, socially and personally?
“Academically, we assist in getting veterans set up with tutors. When I was president, I told everyone to come to me with their school problems, work problems or VA problems, and I will find the answer or find someone who has the answer. From a social standpoint, we really try to mirror what normal Alabama student life looks like. So, we have tailgates, football formals, cup sales, things that bring everyone together normally, so they don’t feel like they are an outcast in a place that is heavily involved with Greek life.”

How does SVA support your professional development?
“From a professional standpoint, we set up career fairs with the veteran military affairs office. We are working on one right now. We try to set student veterans up to get them in front of a lot of people and get a lot of opportunities to get internships or job offers.”

Are there any events, programs or initiatives that have made a strong impact on you?
“The Iron Ruck, it brings awareness to people that don’t know how to help veterans with mental health. The Iron Ruck gives you a family to talk through problems, work through issues or just to feel heard. The Iron Ruck does a good job of building those foundations for people. I met Drew on the Iron Ruck, and we have been tied to each other’s hip ever since. We go camping together, he comes to visit me in Tuscaloosa, and I go visit him in Auburn. We always have a great time together. Back in the spring, I was really struggling, and Drew drove all the way from Auburn when he heard to make sure I was alright. That tells the story of the Iron Ruck. You are building a family that will always help take care of you and always be there for you.”

What skills or lessons did you take away from being part of SVA and Operation Iron Ruck?
“I am still a student, and I am currently on the job hunt. I will graduate in December. This experience has really helped me make connections and put me in front of a lot of amazing people inside the veteran space and even outside the veteran space. I think it shows that I am a go-getter.”