Tonight’s Outstanding First-Year Student Awards might have been the most rewarding experience I’ve had since starting this position with First-Year Courses. Certainly, all of the students who received awards enrich EKU’s campus. But I’d be lying if I didn’t say that I am particularly proud of my own students. From meeting their families and telling them how amazing they are, to encouraging them to use this award as a springboard into positions as campus leaders, to bringing them all together for a group photo, it was an amazing experience. I’m proud of my Classtronauts and can’t wait to see what they accomplish in the coming years.

Read more about the awards ceremony on the FYC website.

Travis L. Martin, PhD, is founding director of the Kentucky Center for Veterans Studies at Eastern Kentucky University. He has established several nationally recognized programs to support returning veterans in higher education and the non-profit sector. A scholar of American literature, psychoanalytic trauma theory, and social theory, Dr. Martin presents frequently at conferences and universities. He has published dozens of research articles and creative short works on veterans’ issues. A former sergeant in the U.S. Army, he served during two deployments in the Iraq War (2003-04 & 2005). His book War and Homecoming: Veteran Identity and the Post-9/11 Generation is slated for publication with the University Press of Kentucky in 2022. He resides in Richmond, KY.