Contact:
Elizabeth Blevins, Director, Office of Communications
Phyllis Noah, Communications Coordinator
Office: (740) 351-3810; FAX: (740) 351-3179; Cell: (740) 464-4854
940 Second Street – Portsmouth, Ohio 45662
E-mail: eblevins@shawnee.edu or pnoah@shawnee.edu
Web site: www.shawnee.edu

            The Shawnee Student Veteran’s Association (SSVA), a chapter of the Student Veterans of America (SVA), is quickly becoming known nationally because of its President Andrea Werner, of Wheelersburg.
            She has been attending national conferences this summer in Michigan, Chicago, Ill., and Kansas City, Missouri, and was recently named national director of Women Veterans Initiatives and Advocacy for SVA.
            “Out of 23 million veterans in the United States, 1.8 million are females,” Werner said.
            Because of her involvement, Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray’s office contacted Werner to discuss what could be done in the state of Ohio to help women veterans. She also met with the Ohio Department of Veteran’s Services in Columbus and now serves on the Advisory Committee for Women Veterans in the state of Ohio.
            “I am currently working on sending out a survey nationwide to all of our chapters,” Werner said.
            She will be going to the SVA National Conference in Washington, D.C. with the data compiled from the survey with the main concerns of women veterans who are going to school.
            The national SVA was formed in 2008 by a student veteran at the University of Michigan. He realized there were others who needed support during the transition into college and decided to start a veteran’s organization at the university. He wanted to find information and connect student veterans with resources.
            “We advocate on behalf of student veterans at the state and national level,” Werner said. “The SVA lobbied in Washington and helped push through the new Post 9/11 G.I. Bill.”
            A new documentary is being produced out of Los Angeles on women and violence in the military where Werner will be appearing. She is doing an interview that is planned to be part of the documentary.
            “Here at Shawnee, we are working with Admissions to track our veterans a little better,” Werner said. “On the new Admissions form, we have a better way of tracking our veterans. We want to reach out to our veterans and let them know we are here if they need us.”
            Shawnee State was recently recognized in G.I. Jobs magazine as a “military friendly” school. Werner was recognized in the magazine as a founder and president of the Shawnee Veteran’s Association.
            “It shed some light on Shawnee State and hopefully will draw in more veterans,” Werner said. “Especially the ones getting ready to get out of service, they will see that Shawnee State is a military friendly school and they may choose to come here.”