Recipients of scholarships announced at the Veterans Remembrance Ceremony include (from left) Alany Ivera, Aaron LoGiudice, Brodie Loftus and Matthew Adams. (Missing from photo: Brody Brown, Brennan Bowes, Samantha McCann and Hudson Smith.)
Students with ties to the U.S. military were recognized as recipients of scholarships totaling $3,500 at the Veterans Remembrance Ceremony.
Scholarships designated for students who are either veterans or affiliated with veterans join with service and community as the three pillars of the ceremony. This year’s ceremony was held Nov. 7 in the Williams Center Multipurpose Room.
“The Veterans Remembrance Ceremony is an annual tradition where we come together to honor, remember and show our deepest gratitude to the countless men and women who have served our country through the Armed Forces,” said the campus Veterans Affairs Administrator David M. White.
“The three objectives are to acknowledge the service veterans have provided, to recognize our veterans and military-affiliated students who are scholarship recipients and to provide an opportunity for surrounding communities to connect to the campus and have a sense of belonging,” said Mr. White, a co-chair of the Veterans Remembrance Committee.
In his speech, Matthew Adams, the ceremony’s student speaker and a senior from Jamestown, NY, said it is a privilege to receive the 2025 Courage and Honor Scholarship. “It is a sure sign that everything that I’ve done not only in my time in the Marines, but also in the years since is in the right direction,” he said.
“Courage is subjective and unique to every individual,” Adams explained. “For some, it’s running into a burning building; it could be as a survivor of sexual assault asking for help in the face of hardship,” he continued.
Mr. Adams served six years in the Marine Corps at the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, working in Aviation Operations and then Safety, and attained the rank of Sgt E5. He previously attended Allegheny College and Jamestown Community College. Adams has utilized the GI Bill to cover tuition and other expenses at SUNY Fredonia.
The $850 Courage and Honor Scholarship will fund the purchase of a new computer that will enable Adams to use software programs that are included in his courses.
Adams is president of the campus chapter of Student Veterans of America, treasurer of Tau Sigma National Honor Society and chairperson of the Student Constitution Revision/Veterans Affairs Committee.
Brody Brown, a senior Music Education major with an Arts Administration minor, from Buffalo, NY, was recognized as the Ronald L. and Marilyn M. Denison Scholarship recipient.
Six students were recognized as Fredonia Veterans Scholarship recipients. They include: Brennan Bowes, a first-year Business Administration major, from Lockport, NY; Aaron LoGiudice, a first-year Business Finance major with a Music minor, from Great Valley, NY; Brodie Loftus, a senior with majors in Business Administration and Finance, from Dunkirk, NY; Samantha McCann, a sophomore Psychology major with minors in Criminal Justice and Sociology, from Lockport, NY; Alany Rivera, a sophomore Early/Childhood Education major, from Westfield, NY; and Hudson Smith, a sophomore majoring in Music Education, from Collins, NY.
The eight 2025 scholarships totaling $3,500 are funded through endowments in the Fredonia College Foundation.
Jeff Walter, FSA catering manager and a retired Senior Chief Petty Officer in the U.S. Navy and co-chair of the committee, introduced the guest speaker, Lieutenant JG Hannah Walter, of the U.S. Coast Guard, who is also his daughter.
Ms. Walter was unable to attend the ceremony, but a video she created, “AGON: A Debate Between Opposing Forces,” was shown. The performance adaptation featuring five dancers was inspired by the Missing Man Table ceremony that honors the military’s missing in action and prisoners of war.
The ceremony began with the presentation of the colors by the Dunkirk High School Junior ROTC cadets and the singing of the national anthem by Ava Hartung, a sophomore Music Education major from Fredonia, NY. She is also a daughter of Benjamin Hartung, a committee member and the campus’ chief information security officer.
Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer Vicki T. Sapp concluded the ceremony by introducing the Inclusion Challenge Pledge and inviting attendees to accept the challenge.
