MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee State University graduating veterans Brennan Judkins of Cross Plains and Logan Duncan of Lafayette both faced difficulties related to deployment as they juggled their military obligations with academic advancement.
After an eight-year hiatus following a lackluster start to college, management and leadership major and Army veteran Jacob Kimbrough returned to MTSU three years ago with a renewed sense of purpose and drive to succeed.
All three veterans’ perseverance earned them accolades as recipients of awards presented to them at the Charlie and Hazel Daniels Veterans and Military Family Center’s 33rd Graduating Veterans Stole Ceremony held on Thursday, May 7, at Miller Education Center ahead of commencement held Friday and Saturday, May 8-9.
The triannual event showcases military veterans with a ceremony highlighted by the presentation of a symbolic red stole to wear at graduation and commemorative coins given by retired U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Keith M. Huber, senior advisor for veterans and leadership initiatives at MTSU, and Daniels Center Director Hilary Miller.
The spring Class of 2026 had 94 veterans earning degrees, with 55 graduates present at the stole ceremony.
Veterans Leadership Award
Kimbrough — who already secured employment in sales even before graduating — was presented the Veteran Leadership Award.
“Jacob leads with humility, consistency and a genuine concern for others,” said Laurie Witherow, vice provost for enrollment services, who presented the award to Kimbrough.
Not only did the Murfreesboro native return to school with a renewed commitment to his education, evidenced by his place on the Dean’s List the past five semesters, but he dove into leadership roles as well.
He’s been actively engaged with the Daniels Center and Student Veterans of America, known on campus as Blue Raiders American Veteran Organization, or BRAVO. He served as a student orientation assistant and represented veterans through the MTSU Student Government Association. Kimbrough also represented the Jones College of Business in sales competitions.
“My goal was to always come back. I have always been True Blue,” Kimbrough said. “Getting involved really gave me a sense of community, a sense of purpose, and just a sense of pride to finally finish what I started.”
The Journey Award
Judkins and Duncan were honored with the Journey Award, which “recognizes a graduating student veteran who has overcome significant adversity while remaining engaged with MTSU and the Daniels Center,” explained Chris Rochelle, assistant director of the Daniels Center.
“What makes these recipients especially deserving of the Journey Award is not only their determination, but the way they continuously supported others along the way,” Rochelle told the hundreds of family, friends and veterans gathered for the ceremony.
Duncan, an air traffic control specialist with the Tennessee Army National Guard, was deployed to the Horn of Africa and didn’t want to waste any more time away from college after postponing a year due to training requirements. “I didn’t want to put my education on pause,” said Duncan, a professional pilot major in the Department of Aerospace.
But getting connected to MTSU was not easy to navigate because of communication restrictions that accompanied his duty station.
“I had to go through a duty phone and do a courtesy call to Fort Cole and have them transfer me to MTSU to get all my school stuff figured out. It felt like an uphill battle,” said Duncan, who plans to build time as a flight instructor to meet the 1,500-hour requirement for an airline transport pilot certificate.
Judkins, an exercise science major and Army National Guard infantryman, was deployed to the Middle East in 2024 just a few weeks into the fall semester and didn’t return to the states until a week before fall classes started in 2025.
Daniels Center key to success
Undeterred by challenges they faced, the veterans found help through the Daniels Center.
“The Daniels Center helped a lot with navigating being deployed and coming back and how to do all the stuff to stay enrolled and not mess anything up,” said Judkins, who will return to MTSU in the fall for a master’s program and will serve as a graduate teaching assistant.
When professors were unsure of how to accommodate Duncan’s challenge as an online student overseas, Miller stepped in to help.
“Even if it wasn’t necessarily her direct responsibility, Dr. Miller gave me a lot of help and kept me from dropping out at that point,” Duncan said.
That kind of support made the difference in helping them persist through deployments, interruptions and the challenges of balancing military service with college life.
As graduates received their red stoles ahead of commencement, the ceremony celebrated not only academic achievement, but the resilience and determination that carried them to the finish line.
The Daniels Center is the largest and most comprehensive veterans support organization on any Tennessee campus, and the stole ceremony remains one of the most meaningful events of each semester for veterans and their families. To learn more, visit https://www.mtsu.edu/military/.
— Nancy DeGennaro (Nancy.DeGennaro@mtsu.edu)
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