The College of Charleston recently became the first higher education institution in South Carolina to establish a campus chapter of SALUTE, a national honor society that recognizes the service and scholastic achievements of veteran and military students.

Two dozen veteran and military students at CofC were inducted into the honor society at a campus ceremony on May 1, 2019, according to Jessica Wilkes, director of Veteran & Military Student Services at the College.

The inductees (pictured above) are: Anna Kelley, Tyler Markiewicz, James Mitchell, Emily Amador, Denicee Becker, Ian Braddock, Lanear Brown, Lawrence Courtien, Jordan Gordon, Dylan Howard, Qunita Humphries, Andrew Lay, Amber Leighton, Matthew Morris, Jared Smith, Lisa Thompson, Grant Thompson, Jr., Forrest Brewster, Rex Ferrer, Megan Jones, Jonn Rhoton, Matthew Dominguez, Steven Lange and John Taber.

SALUTE is an acronym that stands for service, academics, leadership, unity, tribute and excellence. Its members include retirees, disabled veterans, active duty military, National Guard and reservists. Established in 2009 and headquartered at Colorado State University, the honor society was created through a grant from the American Council of Education and Walmart Foundation.

Membership in SALUTE is open to two-year and four -year accredited institutions of higher education that are in good standing with the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs and participating in the GI Bill. Chapter membership, according to the organization’s website, allows schools to induct high-achieving military members, hold SALUTE recognition ceremonies and offer connections for engagement, peer mentors, scholarships and resume enhancement and career connections.