Speaker
AJ Brown
International Studies Student
AJ Brown is a junior at the UW–Madison, pursuing a major in international studies focusing on global security. He is a proud US Navy veteran, former Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Technician, and 2024 New Student Veteran Cohort leader. As a BIPOC veteran, AJ is passionate about familiarizing others with the student veteran experience in hopes of addressing any dividing preconceptions about the military. He believes in the importance of advocating for veterans on campus, as their unique life experiences enrich UW–Madison’s culture and diversity. Beyond his academic pursuits, AJ enjoys educating fellow veterans on the VA Disability system and getting tossed around doing Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
Speaking in
Towards Constructing Military-Connected Student Inclusion: A Student Panel and Discussion
Similar to a few other large, public institutions, UW-Madison’s history is inextricably intertwined with that of the nation’s military. This highlights the critical importance in supporting the unique needs of student veterans, service members, and family members. Supporting military-connected students requires learning more about military-connected identities and experiences. Often presenting in invisible ways, military-connected identities can be obscured by other aspects of student identity. Working towards inclusive environments for military-connected students at UW-Madison becomes possible once prepared to understand the transformative power of community.
This session seeks to elevate current military-connected student stories and provide support for them to voice their experiences. A student panel of current UW-Madison military-connected students is central to the focus of this session.
Session Objectives
- Learn about trends in military-connected student populations
- Build empowerment to better support military-connected students