The following excerpts are from the full-length essays of the VRNA’s scholarship recipients.

What does being a Veteran mean and how does it affect me?

By: Laura Lemke
Fort Worth, Texas
Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas

Self-sacrifice. A sense of higher purpose. Respect for themselves and others. These are all phrases that describe a military Veteran. Growing up in a military community educated me about how important and rewarding it is to live up to these descriptions.

Dedicating their lives to military service, my parents left behind friends, family and familiar surroundings. While sacrificing these comforts, they taught me adaptability. I have learned to make a home for myself, wherever I may be. More importantly, they taught me that the constants in life matter most – your father, mother, siblings and country.

By: Allison Simmons
Lincoln, Neb.
Northwestern College, Orange City, Iowa

At the dawn of the 21st century, the United States is viewed as a world power, a country that upholds freedom. It is through the sacrifices of the Veterans who have bravely served the United States that this presence of power of our country came into being. Strictly speaking, a Veteran is someone who served in the armed forces, either during a conflict or during a time of peace. But a Veteran is more than someone who served in the armed forces; it is someone who sacrificed time, energy, hopes, dreams and, for some his or her own life, to protect, uphold and defend the freedom of individuals throughout the world.

By: Megan Seibold
New Philadelphia, Ohio
Ohio State Veterinary School of Medicine, Columbus, Ohio

After looking at the topic for this essay, I realized I had never really thought about how Veterans affect my life. Sure, I participate in the Veterans Day and Memorial Day parades to commemorate the war Veterans and to remember dead servicemen, respectively, but I never applied this to my life. Hence, I had some research to do before even beginning to write this essay. My research took the form of interviewing my great uncle Carlos, a 24-year member of the United States Army and a Veteran of World War II, Korea and Vietnam. In addition to Carlos, my late grandfather was a WWII Veteran and fought in Normandy, my great uncles, Louis and Lee, participated in WWII in the South Pacific and the United Kingdom, respectively, and my father, William, is a Vietnam Veteran. Veterans have affected my life from the very beginning, simply by being my family.

By: Jennifer Johnson
LeCenter, Minn.
Minnesota State University, Mankato, Minn.

Our country’s Veterans have given every American citizen the opportunity to live in our United States of America. They have offered us a life filled with all the rights that our Constitution holds dear. Because of their dedicated service, I have been blessed with a life that offers me the opportunity to be the best that I can be.

Democracy has prevailed as the result of the unflinching courage of our American servicemen and women. As American citizens, we must cherish, honor and reward the service of our Veterans. They have made sacrifices for our country, by giving their time and their life, to allow us to live in this wonderful country.