Q3 is our busiest period of each year, as Fall Semester begins and our annual Golf Outing takes place. This year was particularly busy, as we supported a number of additional event during this time frame. We begin this quarters newsletter looking back on a jam-packed Q3, followed by what to expect looking into the next few months.
Looking Back | Q3 Review
Golf Outing
We hosted 88 golfers at Beavercreek Golf Club for our Fourth Annual Golf Outing, with the morning starting off nice and cool while our golfers warmed up by hitting the VMAS banner in the driving range for free raffle tickets. We brought back some of our golfers favorite event staples like 'PT for Par' while also introducing some new experiences like the 'Hecklers Hole'. At the end of the day, our golfers enjoyed a beautiful day of golf while we raised money to support the Veteran & Military connected Students and Alumni of Wright State. Read more about this year's event by visiting the Golf Outing Blog.
Career Advancement Program
The VMAS Career Advancement Program saw growth in it's second annual application cycle!! Made possible by Fifth Third Bank, this program provides Wright State students and alumni who are Veterans, Service Members (Active/Guard/Reserve), or Dependents with a way to recoup expenses associated with professional development. This includes application costs, training materials, conferences, and more. This year we helped people close the financial gap associated with professional development by providing over $3,000 in awards. Interested in applying? The application window for the Career Advancement Program reopens on March 1st 2025 and can be found by visiting the VMAS CAP site.
Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans
The Wright State VMAS team hosted local small business owners, Wright State faculty, and the second cohort of the Reynolds & Reynolds Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans for a social evening at the Wandering Griffin. The EBV focuses on providing aspiring entrepreneurs with the tools and training needed to be successful in their professional endeavors.
The Wright State VMAS team supports this effort through recruiting speakers and program mentors while also hosting a 'social evening' for program participants, giving them a chance to take a break from the busy schedule of the in-person training period. This year we saw a large increase across all categories, with program participation almost doubling. Learn more about the EBV on the program website.
Sapphire Jubilee
As we grow within the Wright State Alumni Association, we strive to be one of the top alumni organizations within the space. As a part of that goal, we hope to set a positive example across our peer groups by supporting their efforts when and where we can. This was the second year we were able to provide support to the Wright State African Alumni Alumni Society through their annual Sapphire Jubilee.
The Sapphire Jubilee supports the success of African American students at Wright State and the mission of the Bolinga Black Cultural Resources Center. We want to thank the African American Alumni Society for their support of our organization over the years as well.
Northridge Honors Concert
Stepping outside of the Wright State environment, we recently supported a local school district this quarter. Northridge Local Schools in Dayton has an Alumni Veterans Memorial on it's campus which is in need of expansion. Over 400 names need added to this memorial, with the number of names growing each month. Members of the Alumni Board connected with some VMAS Board members and Northridge Alumni to see if we could support this effort. VMAS helped manage online registration and event marketing to help this organization honor the local Veteran community.
The Northridge Honors Concert was held 100 yards away from the memorial and included a performance from Grammy-award winning singer/songwriters to include Northridge Alumni Frank Myers, with 12 No. 1 hits and 20 Top 10's over his 40-plus year career. Frank has written and produced songs recorded by more than 50 country including Kenny Loggins, Lonestar, Vince Gill, Billy Ray Cyrus, and more. The benefit concert exceeded the goals of the event organizers and helped unite multiple generations of the community for a night of entertainment.
Wright Day to Give
Every year Wright State University hosts it's annual fundraising drive, Wright Day to Give, on the founding date of the University, October 1st. This fundraiser supports campus initiatives, scholarships, and programs that directly impact an area of the donor's choosing. 2024 saw more than 1,100 donors gift over $227K, both of these resulting in growth compared to 2023.
Within this campaign, the societies within the Alumni Association provide fundraising options for interested donors that support their cause. We are PROUD to announce that in 2024, the VMAS-supported 'Veteran & Military Center Excellence Fund' topped the list for monetary value this year! Thank you to all of our donors and to all of the donors who supported Wright State in this years drive. Don't forget, if you donate at least $50 a year and are a Wright State Alumni you qualify for all the benefits of a Wright State Alumni Gold Card member.
Looking Forward | Q4 Outlook
Military Community Advocate
As part of our student-driven focus, we have been looking for opportunities to engage with students in a way that provides experience for students and results in some type of tangible resource for VMAS. Over the last few years, that was accomplished through an annual student project with one of the Marketing classes in the College of Business. This year, we were given the chance to take this idea one step further by funding a new opportunity established at Wright State through the National Veterans Leadership Foundation.
The Military Community Advocate role will help us review, create, refine, and publish varying marketing materials that will aide in broader marketing goals that the College of Business has helped us define over the years. These materials will help us effectively communicate our missions and vision to Service Member's, Veterans, their families, and the overall community.
The partnerships we are creating on-campus help provide the additional resources our all-volunteer board needs to effectively grow the organization without asking our volunteers to max out their personal bandwidth. This new role will be occupied by a Wright State student, Marine Corps Veteran, and Student Veterans of America leader with all the skills needed to make this a success!
Veteran Business Outreach Center
VMAS is looking forward to assisting the Veteran & Military Center (VMC) with their newest initiative through the Small Business Administration, the Veteran Business Outreach Center. The VBOC program "...is designed to provide entrepreneurial development services such as business training, counseling, and resource partner referrals to service members, veterans, National Guard and Reserve members, military spouses, and family members interested in starting or growing a small business. SBA has [multiple] organizations participating in this cooperative agreement and serving as VBOCs."
Wright State is one of the newest sites to host one of these centers across the country. This effort supports the community and university in multiple ways, including the expansion of entrepreneurial services provided at Wright State like the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans. We want to congratulate the VMC in their continued expansion of services they are able to provide the local Veteran and Military community.
Cornhole Tournament
Planning for the Fourth Annual Cornhole Tournament is well underway, with a few exciting changes we are happy to announce for 2025. Last year we welcomed over 70 guests to Kettering VFW Post 9927 for a day of Cornhole, Blackjack, March Madness, and more. The 20 team double-elimination tournament was sold-out and our sponsorship support saw an increase as well. We hope to build on last year's success with some of this year's changes. So what can you expect this year?
To start, a new location! We want to thank VFW Post 9927 for hosting us the last two years, but to grow this tournament without increasing the overall event duration, we need more space for more boards. This year's event will be held at American Legion Post 200 in Huber Heights, which hosts regular cornhole tournaments each week and includes enough space to accommodate 5 sets of boards (we have been running 4).
Sponsorship and attendee options will also be changing. Want to hang out but not interested in playing? Pick up a Spectator ticket for $10 and enjoy a non-alcoholic drink, snacks, lunch, and a raffle ticket with your entry. Interested in supporting as a sponsor? Our new Food and Drink sponsor options include a 2-person team entry into the tournament if interested.
Keep an eye out for the event registration link early January, with next year's event being held on March 22, 2025.
Executive Leadership Elections
2025 brings another election cycle for VMAS, as our Executive Leadership Team (ELT) wraps up another two-year service term. In Q1 2025 we will distribute election eligibility and schedule details for our next two-year service cycle. To qualify for one of our ELT positions interested individuals must be a Wright State Alumni, but are NOT required to have any military affiliation. To learn more about what our VMAS Leadership team does and the Committees they manage, visit the Our Committees page.
Upcoming Events
Event details can be found on the VMAS Events page or the Alumni Association Events page. Stop by one of our weekly meetings or send us an email to learn how you can help.
Hire Ohio Alumni Only Career Fair | Nov. 6, 2024
Alumni Service Day | Nov. 9, 2024
VBOC Launch Party & Major Mixer | Nov. 13, 2024
Stars, Stripes, and Flight Classic, Wright State vs Air Force | Nov. 30, 2024
Fourth Annual Cornhole Tournament | March 22, 2025
Support the Alumni Association by attending one of their events, purchasing a Wright State license plate, or by becoming a Wright State Alumni Association Gold Member for as little as $50 a year.