SANFORD - Standing in front of her closet filled only with T-shirts, 牛仔裤和军服, Jessica Gonzalez suddenly realized she had no idea what to wear for a job interview. For years, fashion wasn't even a concern -- as a soldier in the U.S. 军队, her clothes were prescribed -- but now she was returning to civilian life, where she had lost touch with expectations and trends.

She reached out to a friend who had successfully made the transition and urged Gonzalez to understand the organizational culture, research the company's dress code and invest in a few key fashion pieces that would work in just about any situation. Moving forward by asking for advice and assistance from others is a lesson she embraced.

现在, the military veteran enjoys a successful career as Human Resources Director for 中央卡罗莱纳社区学院 and recounted her story on Nov. 9 at the college's annual Veterans Day commemoration.

"Transitioning from the military to civilian life can be extremely overwhelming -- not only professionally and emotionally, 而且当涉及到简单的任务时,她对听众说. "It is essential to reach out to those who have gone before you to learn from their experiences."

Providing valuable insight and advice was just part of this commemoration at the Dennis A. 柳条公民 & 会议中心. 源自推荐正规买球平台主席Dr. 莉莎米. 查普曼欢迎客人, the Lee County High School JROTC presented colors and the National Anthem was performed by vocalist Jacob Barton and members of the Lee County 社区 Orchestra, another speaker gave some perspectives on the concept of glory and how that might apply to veterans.

丹·格利(Dan Gurley)是一名美国律师.S. Air Force veteran and deputy chief of staff to the speaker of the state House of Representatives, recalled how his uncle suffered frostbite to his feet while a member of the military stationed in Greenland. 尽管受了伤, severe enough to be classified as a partial disability, his uncle returned home to drive a truck for more than 30 years. It was a job that required constant use of his feet, but he never complained.

"If you thought that it was something that belonged to members of the military, 你可以证明这一点, then this is somebody that ought to have glory around him."

About 75 members of the college and broader community attended this year's celebration, and all veterans in the audience were honored. 卡米沙·埃尔南德斯·卢西亚诺，美国.S. 军队 veteran and assistant director for the college's Veterans Upward Bound, asked veterans from each branch of military service to stand as a group and be recognized as musicians performed their organization's anthem during a short medley.

推荐正规买球平台's celebration is held every year to commemorate Veterans Day, a national holiday that began in 1938 as Armistice Day to honor the end of World War I. 在后来的两次全球冲突之后, 第二次世界大战和朝鲜战争, Congress changed the name of the holiday to Veterans Day to honor veterans of all wars.

詹妮弗·狄龙, 推荐正规买球平台's Director of Veterans Upward Bound and Military Initiatives, says it's important for the college to remember all who served in the military and remind veterans how the college can assist them in their educational journey, before and after their transition back to civilian society.

还有另外一个原因. 在纪念活动开始之前, Dillon noted the diverse audience taking their seats, from young college students and older veterans, people of all kinds representing many different demographic groups. "It's important to feel camaraderie again," she said. "All of us together, not just as a community college and as a community, but each of us individually."