Area schoolchildren, Kirkwood Hall staff brighten Veteran’s Day week
For hundreds of student-veterans at Kirkwood Community College, many hands large and small came together to brighten their November days.
In early November a group of students at Truman Elementary School in Cedar Rapids got together to make hand-made greeting cards to honor area veterans.
One Stop specialist Beth Tenney works in Kirkwood Hall, and has a child attending Truman. Inspired by her daughter’s craft work, Tenney encouraged her co-workers to make desserts and treats to share in the Kirkwood Veteran’s Lounge in Iowa Hall on the days leading up to Veteran’s Day.
“The Truman second grade classes got together to make decorations to honor the veterans, and our Fun Committee hung them in the lounge last week. The big American flag is made up of each child’s handprint, forming the stars and stripes. It’s a pretty neat thing,” Tenney said.
Tenney is part of the Kirkwood Hall Fun Committee, with personnel from the college’s Enrollment, Financial Aid and Accounting Services offices contributing positive activities to the campus throughout the year.
Enrollment figures indicate that more than 800 military veterans took classes at Kirkwood in the past year, and about the same number are enrolled for the current semester. Many veterans are furthering their education with benefits from the Montgomery GI Bill and other support services.