Student veteran shares experience at NAU

In celebration of the experiences and sacrifices of those who have served our country, NAU is hosting Veterans Week events from November 6–11.

Most events take place on NAU’s Flagstaff campus, with live broadcasts available for our online, statewide, and community Lumberjacks who cannot attend in person.

Uriah Whitaker is one of many student veterans with a unique journey at NAU. Please join us in thanking him and his NAU student veteran peers for their service.

Name: Uriah Whitaker

Major: BS Mechanical Engineering

Hometown: Sulphur, Oklahoma

Graduation: Spring 2024

Military service: I served in the US Army from 2004 to 2011. Basic Training at Fort Benning, Georgia (2004); Advanced Individual Training (AIT) at Fort Gordon, Georgia (2004); Airborne school at Fort Benning, Georgia (2004–2005). Stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, 82^nd Airborne (2005–2008); deployed to Afghanistan for Operation Enduring Freedom for 18 months (2006–2008); stationed at Ft. Buckner, Okinawa, Japan (2008–2011).

What brought you to NAU?

My family moved to Flagstaff after I joined the military in 2004, and I have called it home since then.

How has the Veteran and Military Services office supported you?

Helping with the transition to student life and just being there for you when you need them. The knowledge base from them helped with this. Just having a group so empathetic to the trials and tribulations that veterans are put through to get to where we are at today, who assists with the transition back to civilian life, is a great support system.

What is unique about being a veteran and a student?

The experiences that I have had in the military let me know what I wanted for my future. Having a better understanding of what it meant for the basic constitutional rights that have been defended since the beginning of the constitution, and having the pride of knowing that you defended that basic right for every citizen you stand by today.

What has your NAU experience been like?

I was in the military before a lot of the students that I sit next to in class were even born. Going through life, growing as an individual, and knowing that a lot of them are just starting on the path we call adulthood gave me a lot of mixed emotions. Being the “older” guy in class who has mentored and developed young soldiers in the military to become leaders and experts in their field, it humbled me going into class and being taught by professors that were younger than me. Same with attending SI (Supplemental Instruction) sessions with peers who understood the subject a lot better than I did and were willing to devote their time to help me understand it better.

What are your plans after graduation?

I would like to work for Raytheon Technologies and eventually open up my own design shop/lab.

How has NAU helped prepare you to reach your career and life goals?

By just giving me the opportunity to come to this university. The VSC (Veteran Success Center) has helped me transition to college life and pursue my goals.

Have you found particular support from a faculty or staff member?

Laurie Jordon (Assistant Director, Veteran Success Center), Pete Yanka (Director, Veteran and Military Services) from the VSC, and Dr. Visar Farhangi (Assistant Teaching Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering, Construction Management, and Environmental Engineering).

What have you done at NAU that you’re most proud of?

Being accepted into the Mechanical Engineering program and assisting with the Student Veterans of America NAU chapter as the public relations officer. The outreach for the community is self-rewarding.

Want to learn more about veterans at NAU? Read our Q&A session with Political Science major Kass Robinson, a US Marine Corps veteran who served from 2012–2020.

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