Issue link: https://nebusinessmedia.uberflip.com/i/1541233
4 Worcester Business Journal | November 17, 2025 | wbjournal.com Fitchburg State is proud to support our military and veteran students and families, and salutes all who have served. fitburgstate.edu/veterans EXPLORE WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A PART OF OUR COMMUNITY. APPLY TODAY! Keeping Our Promise: e Privilege and Responsibility of Serving Veterans Special Sponsored Content BY DR. DONNA HODGE, PRESIDENT, FITCHBURG STATE UNIVERSITY A s the daughter of a Vietnam veteran, supporting military- connected students isn't just part of my role— it's personal. I grew up with a deep understanding of the weight of service, the long shadows it can cast, and the fierce pride it carries. How we care for veterans when they come home is not just a matter of policy. It's a reflection of our values as educators, as institutions, and as a community. At Fitchburg State, we believe public higher education must be a force for equity and opportunity—especially for those who have served. Veterans are oen first-generation students, adult learners, and heads of households. ey bring discipline, leadership, and lived experience into our classrooms. ey ask hard questions, hold themselves accountable, and enrich our campus every day. But they also carry burdens—visible and invisible—that can complicate their path. at's why we established a dedicated Office of Military and Veterans Services: to ensure the systems we build are worthy of the people we serve. Our veterans deserve more than checklists and benefit forms. ey deserve people—trained, committed, and trusted—who will meet them where they are. Our Veterans Certifying Officials are much more than compliance experts. ey are advocates, interpreters of policy, and steady navigators through academic systems not built for simplicity. ey are the human link between a promise made and a promise kept. My own father served in Vietnam. On his final day overseas, he was clearing the runway aer a transport plane full of soldiers—headed home— was shot down on takeoff. He boarded a similar plane the next morning. He made it home. Many did not. His legacy, like so many who serve, is one of quiet loyalty. I carry that legacy with me every day. Veterans Day reminds us that our debt to those who served is ongoing. It's measured not just in words, but in action—in every policy, every practice, every promise we work to keep. We owe them nothing less than our best. And that begins by showing up, listening well, and getting it right. Dr. Donna Hodge, President, Fitchburg State University