Photo By Staff Sgt. Katherine Jacobus | U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Taylor Sula, an all-domain command and control operations...... read more read more
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U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Taylor Sula balances life between military air traffic operations and college coursework, but it’s her volunteer leadership with a student veterans group at Illinois State University that is making a powerful difference in the campus military-connected community.
Sula, an all-domain command and control operations specialist with the Illinois Air National Guard’s 182nd Airlift Wing, serves as the social media chair — and incoming president — of the university’s chapter of Student Veterans of America (SVA). The registered student organization supports military-connected students by connecting them with community, resources and purpose.
“We’re an RSO whose main goal is outreach, to let veterans and newcomers know what resources they have,” Sula said. “And it's really just a way to kind of connect within a veteran community on campus.”
Following a campus-wide lull in veteran programming during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Illinois State SVA chapter has grown rapidly, recently ranking third in chapter population nationwide. From informal gatherings at local breweries to organizing blood drives, cookouts, food bank ruck marches and a planned campus war memorial, Sula and her fellow volunteers are advancing SVA’s core mission: service and connection.
The chapter’s events focus on informality and inclusion.
“We like to plan and organize a bunch of different events to where it's more of an informal setting, so people don't feel pressured when they go,” Sula said. “We want to have it be fun and entertaining.”
Although the group receives no compensation for their efforts, members say their work is deeply rewarding. Sula recalled one veteran who attended a meeting and admitted he had no one nearby to connect with.
“I was like, ‘Welcome! We’re your new family,’” Sula said. “He’s always at our veteran center now, just hanging out with whoever’s there. It’s just so amazing to see. It melts my heart.”
Beyond camaraderie, the chapter has ambitious goals. Sula is helping lead efforts to designate Illinois State as a Purple Heart University, which would expand tuition benefits for families of service members wounded or killed in combat. The group is also working with the Wounded Warrior Project to construct a memorial for service members on campus.
The chapter’s outreach extends even beyond campus, however.
In early 2024, members attended the Student Veterans of America National Conference in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where they met with military leaders and influencers from across the country, including U.S. Army 1st Lt. Austin von Letkemann, better known as MandatoryFunDay, and retired U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Israel Del Toro, the Air Force’s first 100% disabled re-enlistee.
At the conference, Sula and her team received feedback on their community impact.
“We were ranked third in population for a chapter, and we’ve only been active for two years,” Sula said.
While summer slows down activities, Sula is preparing to lead the chapter into a new academic year.
“I just got handed the reins of presidency,” she said. “We’re still collecting new members, filling them in.”
For Sula, the work isn’t about recognition. Rather, it’s about creating a support network where student veterans feel seen and at home.
“It goes to show that you definitely made a difference in someone’s life, at least one person,” she said. “To me, that’s all that matters. That’s what it’s all about.”
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| Date Taken: | 06.18.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 06.18.2025 16:42 |
| Story ID: | 501029 |
| Location: | NORMAL, ILLINOIS, US |
| Web Views: | 80 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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