In late March, the Military and Veteran Student Life Hackathon gathered student veterans, alumni, mentors and allies to solve some of our student veterans’ most pressing obstacles on NIU’s campus.
These “problems” were submitted by students in the Student Veterans Association. Once split into groups at the event, the students created innovative and feasible implementation and sustaining operation plans for opportunities such as campus integration initiatives, skill translation and employment support, housing assistance, emergency assistance and mental health support. They also learned how to pitch their proposals to stakeholders in a way that will garner excitement and buy-in — a skill they can take with them after the event as they advocate for themselves and their ideas.
The hackathon is a prime example of the type of event held at the De La Vega Innovation Lab and aligns with its mission of fostering empathy, innovation and practical skills in implementing new ventures.
“It was incredibly special to see the range of people that showed up for this cause. We had folks from the community, senior leadership at NIU, NIU alumni, local community college students, NIU student veterans and nonveteran students, too,” said Becca Husar, associate director of innovation and partnership development for the College of Business. “It was because of the diverse experiences and perspectives of each individual that we were able to innovate such impactful and actionable proposals for NIU going forward to support our veteran students.”
Business administration major Danielle Merlo is president of NIU’s Student Veteran Association.
“The turnout and engagement at this week’s Military and Veteran Student Life Hackathon was incredible,” Merlo said. “The event brought up opportunities available to enhance the support and resources for student veterans. I am confident that, by implementing some of the innovative ideas generated during the event, we can make significant strides in improving the veteran experience and fostering a more inclusive and supportive environment on campus.”
Senior finance student Michael Bohling serves as vice president of this organization, and he was impressed by the high effort and professionalism of participants at the hackathon.
“The student involvement far exceeded our expectations, and we hope that this will translate to an increase in involvement with our organization overall,” he said.
Dustin Barbre, a senior in management, noted that the hackathon was a positive experience that resulted in solutions to help acclimate veteran students to campus that could also apply to nonveteran students, too.
“I enjoyed hearing from each of the groups, and I love the hackathon style that was set up,” he said. “Each group got a topic to come up with many potential solutions and were able to narrow down to the most viable solutions and then present them to a panel of judges. This provided students with more opportunities to practice their presentation and public-speaking skills. Overall, I really appreciate the opportunity to participate in this event and I would encourage the discussion to continue and perhaps expand to different demographics.”
The goal of the event was to garner empathy between nonveteran and veteran students and offer new connections and a sense of community for our veteran students. Another goal was to connect the broader veteran community and NIU leadership to these students by having specially chosen mentors at the event.
The lab brought in mentors from the DeKalb American Legion, Department of Defense and senior leaders of NIU, including Clint-Michael Reneau, Ph.D. (vice president of NIU Student Affairs), Rob McCann (U.S. Army, alumnus), Celeste Latham (U.S. Air Force, NIU associate vice president for facilities and resources), John Writer (U.S. Air Force, Department of Defense) and Michael Pollitt (U.S. Navy, Department of Defense).
Latham served as a judge and mentor for the hackathon.
“During the presentations, I found the students to be outstanding,” Latham said. “One of the things that impressed me the most was how the students used their own experiences to create a viable and well-planned solution for enhancing the experiences of veterans on campus. Their innovative and well-thought-out approaches demonstrated their hard work and commitment.”
Latham added that she understands the challenges that veterans go through because she is a veteran herself.
“It is crucial to me that our student veterans feel like they belong here at NIU and receive essential services and support,” she said. “The hackathon is an excellent opportunity for us to listen to our students directly and get their ideas.”
Reneau emphasized the impact these types of events have on inclusivity on campus.
“‘Think tanks’ like the Huskie Hackathon serve as vital catalysts for change within our college and university,” he said. “They provide a dynamic platform for cross-disciplinary collaboration, fostering an environment where diverse perspectives are not just welcomed but are essential to innovation. These events challenge our community to think deeply and creatively about solving complex issues, thereby enhancing our collective capacity for critical thinking and problem-solving. Furthermore, they highlight the importance of inclusivity and support for all students, reinforcing our commitment to creating a campus where every individual feels valued and empowered.”
Jorie O’Brien is the acting director of military, off-campus and nontraditional student services at NIU. According to her, the hackathon was an important event for many reasons.
“To begin, this was a wonderful opportunity for the Military and Veteran Services department to partner with the College of Business and the De La Vega Innovation Lab,” she said. “Our two departments have not cohosted any events together so this was an opportunity that we could not pass up. Additionally, we wanted to be able to have student veterans and nonveteran students come together, to not only get to know each other but to also brainstorm on ideas to better the veteran and military-connected community at NIU. Having students from all over the campus come together reinforces that the whole NIU community supports our student veterans.”
She added that the College of Business students who attended the event allowed for a business mindset to be incorporated into the event and for the veterans to think in different ways.
“This also allowed for business students to ‘see’ the campus through the lens of veterans. Bringing those two worlds together was a sight to see,” she said. “I cannot wait until we work on our next project with the (De La Vega Innovation Lab).”
The Student Veteran Association’s next meeting will be held 3:30 p.m. Wednesday,
April 10 in the military services office at the Peters Campus Life Building. All are welcome, with a special invitation to veterans, active-duty military, National Guard and reservists.
For a list of upcoming events at the De La Vega Innovation Lab, go to go.niu.edu/innovation-lab.
