Lunch with a Veteran

The Lunch with a Veteran event featured Brookdale students representing every branch of the United States Armed Forces.

Robert Mennella, president of the Student Veterans of America Club at Brookdale and United States Air Force veteran, explained the club wanted to hold an event that would encourage veterans to engage with Brookdale students. “We wanted to let them see we are just like them,” he said. During the event, the student veterans talked with their peers and shared their military experiences.

“We have someone from every branch of the military here,” Mennella said about the veterans who attended the event. “Our main idea for the event was to explain the differences between the branches and our missions. We wanted to relay our different life experiences in the military,” he explained.

In addition, the club wanted to help people better appreciate Veteran’s Day while understanding how it is different from Memorial Day. “Not everyone has a member of their family or a friend who is currently serving in the military or is a veteran. We wanted to help people to see what is appropriate and answer any questions they may have,” said Mennella.

“We wanted to reach out and close the gap that exists between veterans and our fellow students. This way it helps us all work better together,” Mennella said.

The Lunch with a Veteran event was a collaboration between the Brookdale Chapter of the Student Veterans of America Club and Student Life and Activities.

Caption: Every branch of the United States Armed Forces was represented at the Lunch with a Veteran event hosted by the Student Veterans of America Club.