Citrus College, APU thank veterans for their service
The Citrus College and Azusa Pacific University communities came together on Nov. 9 to honor local heroes during the 18th annual Saluting Our Veterans ceremony.
The event opened with a welcome from Superintendent/President Schulz and the presentation of colors from APU's Army ROTC. Citrus College's Blue Note Swing Orchestra performed the national anthem and Rio Martinez, an APU veteran coach and member of the U.S. Navy Reserve, delivered the invocation.
During the ceremony, each organization paid tribute to a veteran from their campus. Citrus College honored Steve Jimenez, assistant coach for the women's soccer team, while APU honored Ariel Williams, who helps veterans as APU's military and veteran education benefits manager.
Prior to joining the Citrus College community, Jimenez served in the U.S. Army on active and reserve duty, reaching the rank of master sergeant. He also played on the Army soccer team, served four tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan, and received a Purple Heart.
"Not only did he complete his time in service honorably, Steve took his knowledge, work ethic and perseverance and applied it to his civilian life," said Maria Buffo, director of the Veterans Success Center (VSC).
After Jimenez and Williams were honored, Citrus College alumnus and Air Force Reserve Staff Sergeant Oscar Hernandez delivered the event's keynote address.
"Oscar took on the responsibility of being a work-study student while we were remote in 2021 and braved the transition back to campus to help reopen the VSC," Buffo said.
During his time on campus, Hernandez also helped launch and record videos for the VSC's TikTok account. He is currently pursuing his bachelor's degree in civil engineering at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.
To learn more about the services available to Citrus College veterans, visit www.citruscollege.edu/vsc.
This article originally appeared in the December 2023 edition of the Citrus View.