D'Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families

This year Lopez was selected for the third year in a row to be a part of the VET100, which includes 100 veteran-owned businesses that are acknowledged for the growing culture and success of veteran entrepreneurs by Inc. 5000 magazine.

The D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University hosts a monthly webinar series designed to bring the most up to date research, resources, and experts to our audience on a wide variety of topics addressing transition challenges and opportunities. On July 7, 2022, the IVMF brought together a panel of experts to discuss mental health through research.

The D’Aniello Institute for Veteran and Military Families (IVMF) had the unique opportunity to gain two United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) cadets to assist in programs and research. Cadets Kamryn Olkowski and Mayra Quintana joined the IVMF through the USAFA Cadet Summer Research Program (CSRP). The CSRP is a highly selective program where the most academically accomplished USAFA cadets participate in an academic research experience via various partners across the country. Through this one-month experience in June, cadet Olkowski provided valuable insight to the entrepreneurship team and cadet Quintana helped the research team with a project serving student veterans.

Erinn Roth, owner of Mrs. Jo’s Petite Eats Patisserie and Café, attended the IVMF’s Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans (EBV) program and focused on the hospitality industry. She kept making connections and following opportunities and has learned some valuable lessons along the way. Recently, she took time away from planning her new café opening near the nation’s capital to share some insights with participants at V-WISE Nashville.

One of the features people appreciate so much about the D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) is the ability of the military-connected community to access resources they need when and where they need them.

April is National Financial Literacy Month, and a time to give particular attention to military financial readiness. Service members, veterans, and their families have unique financial circumstances that most civilians don’t have to navigate. From managing housing instability, service-connected disabilities, and out-of-pocket moving costs, to leveraging military benefits like the G.I. Bill and savings accounts, financial readiness for military households has far-reaching effects. The IVMF and its partners have research and programs designed to educate military families about the best ways to get their financial houses in order as needed. Here are some key educational resources for financial health improvement.

I come from a line of military service – at least one person in each generation has served in our armed forces dating back to WWI. My mother retired as an Air Force Major soon after I was born, and my dad, who piloted helicopters for 26 years, retired as an Air Force Lieutenant Colonel around the time I entered middle school. For my early life, I was surrounded by the military and the military community. 

Paulina Thompson has built her professional reputation as the person transitioning veterans know they have to go see. Leaving the military is a challenge for many service members and veterans. Thompson has spent her entire professional life in various human resources (HR) functions and is ready to help. She has more than 20 years of experience in career counseling for service members and families. For the past five years, Thompson has worked as an Onward to Opportunity coordinator with Syracuse University’s D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF), showing countless military veterans and spouses training that makes them more marketable.

He looked at me – his eyes actually welling up with tears – and said “Mike, worse than all of that, since I’ve been home, I feel anonymous.”

We said never forget – but have we?  While I think we have not forgotten those who were killed – they live on through their families and friends, and their names are forever etched in stone around the memorial pools at the 9/11 Memorial, I do think we have, in some ways, forgotten the rest of the story – those acts of courage and those feelings of patriotism and the coming together as one nation to overcome and move forward.