Citrus College shows appreciation for veterans during annual celebration
Citrus College maintained its commitment to honoring veterans with its 15th annual Saluting Our Veterans ceremony, which was held virtually on Nov. 9.
The event began with a welcome from the college superintendent/president, who shared that the college's Veterans Success Center (VSC) has adapted well to the remote learning environment. All student veterans receive a virtual orientation and tour of the VSC. They also noted that 57 student veterans graduated from Citrus College in 2020.
"Citrus College has been proud to host Saluting Our Veterans for 15 years," the superintendent/president said. "Our hope is that events like this demonstrate our gratitude and support for those veterans enrolled at Citrus College, as well as those living in our communities."
After the presentation of colors from the Azusa Pacific University (APU) Army ROTC and national anthem from APU alumnus Sean Gabel, the program featured a salute to fallen veterans from Col. Rick Givens, a chaplain with the U.S. Air Force Reserve.
Citrus College and APU honored veterans David Rodriguez and Anthony Ball. Mr. Rodriguez serves as an academic counselor at Citrus College, while Mr. Ball is APU's associate director of military and veteran outreach.
A reservist with the U.S. Air Force, Mr. Rodriguez has served in the military since 2003 and deployed with combat air-refueling teams for missions supporting Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation New Dawn and Operation Inherent Resolve. His current role is as a combat crew communications specialist, where he aids KC-135 air-refueling missions and C-17 air-transportation missions.
During the ceremony, Dr. Maryann Tolano-Leveque, dean of students, also introduced U.S. Marine Corps veteran and Citrus College alumnus Dustin Glover as the keynote speaker. Mr. Glover, who attained the rank of sergeant while in the military, received several accolades during his four years of service.
"Citrus developed more than just my education, but also my character," Mr. Glover said. "I was surrounded by great peers who I now call my family and a staff who was so dedicated to me."
This article originally appeared in the December 2020 edition of the Citrus View.