Honoring Our Student Veterans
November 8, 2017
Each year on November 11, we honor veterans across the nation. Veterans Day is a day to honor and thank all those who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces. Many communities and organizations host parades and events to show their appreciation. Originally called Armistice Day, it fell on the anniversary of the signing of the Armistice that tended World War I. In 1954, the day was changed to Veterans Day to recognize all veterans in all wars.
At Methodist College we recognize our students who are veterans. One such student is John Dickerson, a nursing student with 20 years of service in the Army. John has served all over the world in the Army’s Airborne Infantry. Growing up around Vietnam Veterans, John always knew he’d join the Army.
John also knew he didn’t want to do anything “normal” in the Army. He served in a highly skilled tracking unit as a sniper and combat tracker. He was one of the first to be trained as a combat tracker since Vietnam. John described his unit as “highly deployable” and has served in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Central America. He served twice in the Army, with 13 years in between each time of service. Always looking for a reason to go back into the Army, John decided to reenlist when the war in Afghanistan occurred.
John’s time in the Army led him to a career as an EMT and nursing school. He always liked the medical unit, having been selected for an extensive medical course in the Army. He was one of the first participants in the program and one of only 18 selected to participate. It was through the Army that he took EMT courses for medic recertification. Serving in the Army prepared him to be EMT qualified, although the scope of work is wider in the Army.
John will graduate in the spring of 2019, with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. After graduation he plans to begin a Nurse Practitioner (NP) program and earn a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP). John is currently a full-time student and assists at the college as a student worker. He previously worked in the Student Services Office and now you can find him in the Simulation Center. When he isn’t at Methodist College, John works as an EMT and recently started working at UnityPoint Health - Methodist in the cardiac unit.
Director of Admissions Alissa Selburg worked with John during his time as a student worker in the Student Services Office. Alissa says, “John is an exemplary student and employee. His willingness to step up and help our Admissions team has contributed to the success of all of our new student programs. John does exceptional work, has excellent attention to detail, and always goes out of his way to help his fellow students and employees. He’s become one of the faces of Methodist College, and we’re lucky to have him on our team.”
This Veterans Day, Methodist College thanks all of our students and alumni who are veterans.