By University Communications
Tuesday, 10 24 2023

SAN ANTONIO, TX – Texas A&M-San Antonio is hosting the 15th Annual Texas A&M University System Military-Affiliated Student Symposium on Oct. 23-24, 2023.

This year's theme, "What’s Next: The Future of Veteran & Military Services" will focus on the application-to-vocation support of military-affiliated students, including recruitment, admission and enrollment; best practices, programs and policies to support students; and career readiness and post-graduation success.

Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp opened the two-day symposium with President Salvador Hector Ochoa and Col. Gerald “Jerry” Smith, USMC (Ret.) providing words of welcome. The morning program featured keynote speaker Kandi Killman, co-founder of 50strong. Breakout sessions will cover a variety of topics for educators and a track for student veterans. Day one concludes with a networking reception for participants. 
 
More than 30 institutions are represented, including all 11 Texas A&M System universities and representatives from The University of Texas, Sam Houston State, Texas State University, Texas Tech University, Baylor University and Stephen F. Austin State University, among others.

A&M-San Antonio Student Veterans of America (SVA) chapter President Connor Crowell will be among the 15 student veterans invited to participate.
 
“The goal of the symposium is to develop professionals who work in higher education to better serve student veterans or military-connected students,” explained A&M-San Antonio Director of Military Affairs Tila Jernigan.
 
Jernigan, who also serves as president of the Texas Association of Collegiate Veteran Program Officials, notes there is a lot to learn from student veterans. “I think they're teaching us about resiliency and how they’ve learned to adapt to ever-changing needs and challenges,” she said.  
 
The 15th Annual A&M System Military-Affiliated Symposium, sponsored by the Wounded Warrior Project, promises impactful training sessions, inspiring guest speakers and networking events, all focused on shaping the future of education and workforce success for veterans and military-affiliated students in Texas. 
 
>>  2023 Symposium Agenda

# # #

About Texas A&M University-San Antonio

Established as a stand-alone university in 2009, Texas A&M University-San Antonio is a comprehensive four-year public university that reflects the culturally diverse, heritage-rich community it serves. Situated on nearly 700 acres in South San Antonio, the University offers 39 undergraduate degrees and 23 graduate degrees to about 7,620 students. A&M-San Antonio is home to the Henry G. Cisneros Institute for Emerging Leaders and the Cyber Engineering Technology/Cyber Security Research Center. The University holds the Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) designation and is one of 39 higher education institutions in the U.S. to have received the Seal of Excelencia certification from Excelencia in Education for its support of Latino student success. More than 77 percent of A&M-SA students identify as Hispanic, and approximately 72 percent are the first in their families to attend college. A&M-San Antonio is a military-embracing institution; the University was recently awarded the 2023 Gold Veteran Education Excellence Recognition Award (VEERA) from the Texas Veterans Commission. Visit tamusa.edu for more information. #onamission