“Fleet Week is such a unique event in our city,” said Matt Butler, director of the University’s Military and Veterans Affairs. “It’s also an opportunity for the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard to share what they do with New Yorkers. In return, New Yorkers take good care of them.”
On Sat. May 27, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Fordham and more than 20 higher education institutions from the five boroughs will come together to share information about their programs and degrees to service members, reservists, veterans, and their families.
“Educating veterans is not just beneficial to the veterans themselves, and to the society to which they are returning, but to the college and university campuses as well,” said Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of Fordham. “Veterans bring with them a maturity, and a diversity of thought, class, and culture that enriches the classroom experience and the campus community.”
Butler said Fordham is taking a leadership role because the Lincoln Center location is close to where the ships dock and is a central location for regional colleges and universities to come together. Transportation will be available to shuttle the servicemen between their ships on the Hudson River and the plaza in front of the Lowenstein building at Columbus Avenue and 60th Street.
“New York is not thought of as a military town, but in fact it is. There are a lot of active duty reservists who will be invited to attend as well,” said Butler.
Student veterans will be on hand to talk about their experiences, as will public and private resource institutions, such as the NYC Department of Veterans Services, FourBlock, Edge4Vets, American Corporate Partners, and Veterans on Campus NYC.
Butler said that college is a perfect vehicle for transitioning from the military because it offers the opportunity to focus on securing a job that is as fulfilling as service to the country. The Fleet Week College Fair will help members of the military to navigate those opportunities, he said.
