MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Before U.S. Army veteran John Farris crossed the stage Thursday, Aug. 6, to receive the red military stole recognizing his upcoming graduation from Middle Tennessee State University, he had one special guest by his side.

Ellie, the German shepherd service dog Farris has been fostering and training, accompanied him to the Charlie and Hazel Daniels Veterans and Military Family Center’s Graduating Veterans Stole Ceremony inside the Miller Education Center on Bell Street, where veteran faculty and graduating students were recognized ahead of the summer commencement on Saturday, Aug. 8.

“I’ve been fostering her for about two years now and I’ve been taking her to classes with me,” a grinning Farris said of Ellie, who has become a beloved fixture at the Daniels Center.

On track with transition to MTSU

Like Ellie, Farris has been on a journey of his own. After serving as an infantryman in the Army, Farris said transitioning to civilian life left him uncertain about his future.

“I was just kind of directionless,” said the aviation dispatch major from Springfield who didn’t think he was “smart enough to go to school.”

Once at MTSU, he applied for the aviation program and landed at the Daniels Center, where he received help with applying for scholarships and assistance with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ Veteran Readiness and Employment program, or VR&E.

“I love the Daniels Center. They’re really just fantastic people. I would not be able to do school without them, and I would have probably dropped out, but they guided me through the process,” said Farris, who will graduate Saturday with a 4.0 GPA.

Huber: Focus on service, gratitude

Farris was one of dozens of graduates recognized during Thursday’s ceremony, where each received a red military stole to wear during commencement. Family members, friends, university leaders and community partners gathered to celebrate the graduates’ perseverance, service and academic success.

Retired U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Keith M. Huber, senior adviser for veterans and leadership initiatives, reminded graduates that their achievements were built on the support of others.

“You didn’t accomplish this on your own,” Huber said. “Think about how many people helped you get here and go out of your way to be thankful.”

He also encouraged them to continue living lives of service.

“Use this (achievement) as a platform to serve others,” Huber told the crowd gathered in the MEC’s second floor atrium. “Continue to be a role model of a servant leader and show people what it means to contribute to a team, not to your own ego.”

Daniels Center ‘instrumental’ in health journey

Marine Corps veteran James Copeland, interim assistance vice president of client services on campus, knows firsthand the impact the Daniels Center can have beyond the classroom.

Last year, Copeland turned to the center after being diagnosed with cancer.

“I’d never really interacted with them much before then but I went and they were very instrumental in helping me get the help I needed from the VA,” said Copeland, director of classroom technology who has been employed at MTSU for eight years.  

Navigating the VA health care system during an overwhelming time was not easy. But “everything happened so much faster because of the Daniels Center,” Copeland said.

— Nancy DeGennaro ([email protected])