Maryville Celebrates Student Veterans During Veterans Day

In honor of Veterans Day, Maryville University is proud to recognize the strength, resilience, and service of its student veterans - a community that enriches classrooms, inspires peers, and exemplifies leadership both in and out of uniform.

As a 2025-2026 Military Friendly® School , Maryville is committed to ensuring that veterans and active-duty service members find the flexibility, support, and sense of belonging they deserve as they pursue higher education and new career goals.

Recently, Maryville sat down with five student veterans - Jeff Luffman , Lydia Smith , Will Solomon , Jarvis Oliver , and Josh Pelzl - to hear their stories of service, transition, and success.

Finding New Purpose After Service

For many of Maryville's veteran students, returning to school is about channeling the discipline and sense of purpose developed in the military into new ways to serve others.

For Jeff Luffman , who is studying for his master's in Artificial Intelligence, retirement from the Army has not only been a chance to continue his education but also to volunteer as an advocate for fellow veterans in treatment courts.

Lydia Smith , an active-duty member of the Air Force set to graduate this December, found her calling in medicine, and is studying Biology and Chemistry with minors in Human Anatomy and Physiology. Lydia was inspired by her cousin, who did ROTC in college and then served close to forty years in the military, working in the White House and the Pentagon, among other locations.

After serving seven years in the Air Force, Will Solomon continued working with K-9s in the civilian world and additionally became a published author. Now living and working abroad in Thailand, Will's bachelor's is in Management Information Systems and he's set to graduate this coming spring.

Jarvis Oliver , previously stationed at a US Army base in South Korea, is currently majoring in exercise science and is on the pre-graduate track for anesthesia school on the master's level. He will be the first anesthesiologist in his family.

For Josh Pelzl , who served as a Navy infantryman in South America and the Persian Gulf, higher education became a bridge between service and his next mission: fitness coaching. "I found a love for coaching while I was in the military," he said. Josh is pursuing his bachelor's in exercise science with an emphasis in strength and conditioning, and recalled the moment that crystallized his decision: "The cook on our boat came to me wanting to lose weight for his wife, and I said 'come on man, let's do this.' I helped him lose about 30 pounds and when he got off the boat wearing his dress whites, his wife started to cry." Josh recalled, "that was the most rewarding feeling I've ever felt, and I said, I'm going to do that for the rest of my life."

Why Maryville University? Flexibility, Community, and Support

Every student's path is different - but all five veterans shared a common thread: they chose Maryville for its flexibility, individualized support, and genuine commitment to those who serve.

Jeff praised Maryville's embrace of technology, especially tools like Slack and Canvas that encourage collaboration and communication with faculty and fellow students. "I feel like I got the red carpet treatment," he said of Maryville's support for student veterans.

With Thailand's twelve-hour time difference, Maryville's flexible online program was a must for Will as one of many US veterans living and working abroad. "It's been a unique opportunity for me to really connect with other veterans that are out here too," said Will.

For Jarvis , Maryville's hybrid learning model allowed him to balance being a parent with pursuing a career in anesthesia and being a volunteer firefighter. "I can spend time with my daughter, I can get ahead on my assignments, I can still live life and do things and have balance. It's actually amazing," said Jarvis.

A Culture That Understands Service

Maryville's military-friendly designation isn't just a label - it's a lived experience that students feel across every level of the university. From professors who accommodate military drills to advisors who help navigate VA benefits, Maryville's support system ensures veterans can succeed without unnecessary barriers.

For Lydia , Maryville's central location was critical. "My unit bounces back and forth between Whiteman Air Force Base over by Kansas City to Jefferson Barracks in St. Louis and the Joint Force Headquarters base which is closer to Jefferson City," said Lydia. Professors are often flexible with assignments and class attendance when Lydia is called to duty, and often enjoy discussing Lydia's military experiences after classes. "And it's nice that we have small enough class sizes so it's a very personal experience in the classroom."

Josh echoed the sentiment: "Anytime I called, everybody was really helpful. The help was there as long as I had a number that I could call or a resource." Recalling the challenges he had in organic chemistry class, he said: "I was constantly reaching out to my professor for help. It was a big turning point for me because it was my hardest class, so when I got done with that, realized 'I got this no problem.'"

From the Classroom to What's Next

Maryville's veteran students aren't just completing degrees - they're building futures.

Jeff plans on leveraging his Artificial Intelligence degree to shape the future of AI policy in the public sector.

Lydia , who once planned to be a dentist, said her professors helped her see new potential. "Once I was at Maryville I had some instructors who were very inspiring. I transitioned from predental to premed and now plan to do oral surgery."

Will praised Maryville's general education classes, though not related to his major, for providing other perspectives: "It's really helped expand my horizons both academically and professionally."

For Josh , Maryville has opened doors he never expected. "I'm working toward a business relationship with the Sacramento Kings basketball team, and one big thing with that is that they require a bachelor's degree. So this wouldn't be something I'd even consider without having started my degree."

What "Military Friendly" Really Means

Being named a Military Friendly® School reflects Maryville's commitment to serving those who have served. But for these students, it's about more than recognition - it's about feeling seen, supported, and empowered.

"I am all about veterans," Jeff said. "And if we could have one takeaway from me, it would just be that there are more education benefits out there and Maryville is a great place to use them."

"It means a lot, said Will . "Maryville goes the extra mile to try to make things a little easier for us [veteran students] and tries to make transitions easier for us too. Especially if you're coming straight from the military into the academic world again. I just really appreciate that the school takes the extra effort to do that for students like me."

Jarvis agreed: "Maryville being military friendly is creating opportunities for first generation professionals, and obviously that's not a new thing, but the failure rate for non-traditional students is usually really high. But with Maryville's help and support, I had 4.0 GPA both this semester and last semester, and I feel like I'm connected to a major that's going to be life-changing. It's a life-changing situation."

Honoring Service Through Action

Maryville University's commitment to military and veteran students is year-round - but Veterans Day provides a special opportunity to reflect, appreciate, and celebrate the men and women who bring their service experience into the classroom.

Many of the veterans we interviewed encouraged their counterparts to research the higher education benefits available and take advantage of them. Information on educational benefit eligibility is available from the VA: https://www.va.gov/education/eligibility/

To all who have served and continue to serve - thank you .

For more information about Maryville University's Veteran Services, visit maryville.edu/admissions/veterans or contact Andrew Gates, Veteran Services Specialist , at [email protected] .

About Maryville University
Founded in 1872, Maryville University is a comprehensive and nationally ranked private institution with an enrollment of well over 9,000 students. Maryville offers over 90 degrees at the undergraduate, master's and doctoral levels, as well as several certificates that align with the undergraduate and graduate education levels. Maryville is recognized as the third fastest-growing private university in the United States by The Chronicle of Higher Education, serving students from 50 states and 56 countries. More than 50,000 Maryville alumni globally, many of whom work and live in the St. Louis region.