The ceremony also included the presentation of an alumni award to Larry Eichler, founder of the Brown University Veterans Alumni Council; and the announcement of a new award to recognize a graduating student who has demonstrated leadership and service in support of Brown’s military-affiliated community.

A Marine turned mentor

For Marine Corps veteran Jared Yee, the University offered something he was looking for as he considered life after military service: a community that valued both camaraderie and the pursuit of excellence. 

Yee, who is pursuing a double concentration in economics and international public affairs, said Brown’s veterans initiative played a pivotal role in his decision to apply. In 2022, while deployed with a detachment of Marines in the Baltics, he began working on his Brown application during his limited free time, uncertain about what would come next after his discharge.

“I remember receiving that admissions letter that I had gotten into Brown, and that remains one of the best days of my life,” Yee said.

The support continued after his admission. Before arriving on campus, Yee connected with staff in the Office of Military-Affiliated Students who helped ease concerns about transitioning to college life. He was also paired with a fellow veteran who became a close friend and mentor as part of what is now the Cisneros Veterans Scholars Program. 

But Yee still had lingering worries: How would it feel being older than many classmates? Would he be able to keep up after four years away from the classroom? Once he stepped foot on College Hill, those worries vanished. 

“Brown as an institution was so welcoming that I even decided to become an orientation leader for transfers, veterans and resumed undergraduates in the following years,” Yee said. “It also wasn't just me. In the past few years, veteran involvement on campus has grown exponentially.”

Now co-president of the Student Veterans Society, a campus tour guide, peer orientation leader and student leader for the homeless outreach organization HOPE, Yee described how veterans are part of every facet of campus life — serving as teaching assistants, joining varsity and club athletic teams, contributing to the Brown Formula Racing team, enriching classroom discussions and more.

“My journey from the Marine Corps to being a fully integrated, welcomed student with a lasting sense of belonging was only possible at an institution like Brown,” Yee said.

Paying forward a legacy of opportunity

For Army veteran and Brown trustee Joe Healey, Brown's commitment to creating opportunities for veterans is rooted in a family history with the University that has shaped his own dedication to expanding access to education for those who have served.

His mother attended Brown through the University's Resumed Undergraduate Education program, which provides opportunities for adults whose education has been interrupted to complete their undergraduate degrees. Despite limited financial resources, she found a path back to college with Brown's support and graduated with the Class of 1980.

Healey, who earned a degree in biomedical engineering from Boston University on an Army ROTC scholarship before serving in the military, said his mother's experience helped shape his own commitment to expanding educational opportunities for veterans.

“Brown was sensitive to her circumstances and financial situation, something I have always remembered,” Healey said. “That is one of the main reasons I am so honored to have had the privilege of starting the Elaine and Joseph Healey Scholarship for Veterans at Brown. Brown, in essence, paid it forward.”

Healey, a Rhode Island native, recalled spending time on Brown's campus as a kid while his mother attended class. Both of Healey’s children eventually graduated from Brown, drawn in part by the community that had welcomed their grandmother and helped her build a different future. That sense of opportunity, he said, is reflected in the University's military-affiliated community.

“These students bring a sense of discipline and purpose to their studies, along with perspectives shaped by military service,” Healey said.  “What makes me especially proud is how they contribute to life at Brown, with professionalism, respect for others and a commitment to the community at Brown.”

In his remarks, Healey reflected on the meaning of military service, drawing on Gen. Douglas MacArthur's 1962 address to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, which centered on the principles of duty, honor and country. 

“Duty is more than just carrying out an order — it is showing up for people who depend on it, especially when the work is difficult and the recognition may never come,” Healey said. “Honor is a standard we hold ourselves to when no one else is watching. Country is not only a place on a map, but the people we serve, the freedoms we share and the responsibility we have to one another. These values shape how service members lead and serve, and they remain part of how many veterans live their lives long after their military service ends.”