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As the daughter of two disabled veterans, South ��ֱ���� State University sophomore Anna Atkinson is uniquely connected to and offers unwavering support for members of the military. 

The Brandt native is a human development and family science major and an active member of the SDState Armed Forces Association. She works in the SDState Office of Veterans Affairs as a work-study student. 

She’s also been the recipient of a Valor Partners Foundation scholarship, a program the university, through the SDSU Foundation, has participated in with a generous match of scholarship dollars. 

The program provides scholarships for the spouses and children of 100% disabled or deceased veterans who are or have been eligible for the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance benefit, also known as Chapter 35. 

"I can't express enough the impact our relationship with the Valor Partners Foundation has had on our students and program. The SDState Veterans Affairs Office has many programs, but none have the financial impact like our partnership with this foundation,” SDState Veterans Services Director Russ Chavez said. 

“Our Chapter 35 recipients have endured many hardships and shouldn't have to worry about college costs. We praise the people who have worked tirelessly to make this happen for our veteran family members. The work is never done, so neither should the praise," he added. 

Chapter 35 provides monthly stipends directly to the children and spouses of veterans who have died in service, are missing in action, are captured or have a permanent and total service-connected disability. The Valor Partners Foundation scholarship provides additional support for tuition, fees and other costs, bridging the gap left by existing educational benefits. 

Atkinson is the daughter of Anthony Atkinson of Ankeny, Iowa, a former Army medic, and SDState Coordinator of Veterans Services Connie Stone of Brandt, a former military police officer and gunner who received the Purple Heart. Both are on 100% disability and are SDSU alums. 

Finding the right fit 

At the Veterans Affairs Resource Center, Anna Atkinson works alongside Chavez and her mom to assist veterans served by the office. She’s also the Students’ Association ex-officio for the Armed Forces Association and participates in Adopt Brookings and the Human Development and Family Studies Club. 

Atkinson plans to use her human development and family science major and gerontology minor to pursue social work in nursing homes when she gets out of school, which will include pursuing a master’s degree. 

She decided to come to SDState because of both the affordable cost and the community on campus. 

“It’s not too big, not too small. You can ask questions in class. It’s the perfect medium, which I liked,” she said. 

Atkinson knew social work in nursing homes was the line of work she was interested in, and that she wanted to go to college, because of her dual-credit lifespan development class and her senior capstone project at Clear Lake High School. The project required a week of job shadowing. 

“I job shadowed at a nursing home in Brookings, and I really liked it. It’s office work, but you also go out and have those conversations with residents. I also spent some time at hospice, which was definitely a bit more intense, but I did end up liking it, so I might explore that path, too,” she said. 

Health care wasn’t the right fit for her, but she liked the social aspect working with seniors and their families. 

“I like that process and being able to help out people as they age, because I would like someone to help me as I age. … Being able to help someone else’s family that’s struggling with some of the tedious things like paperwork, or not understanding what the nurses are talking about, being able to help communicate with families and residents, really spoke to me.” 

She pursued the human development and family science major because she didn’t want to narrow her studies exclusively to social work. She also credits on-campus visits with making sure SDState and the major were the right choice for her. 

Serving others 

Atkinson said her family has had a veteran legacy as long as she can remember, and even though she did not choose that path, her involvement in efforts that help veterans is her way of giving back. She also sees how her work helping veterans relates back to her chosen career field. 

“Most of my family served in the military, … and I’ve seen how that’s affected them. It’s very much a tight-knit community,” she said. “I’ve grown up going to things like Wounded Warrior Project meetings and helping my mom volunteer as much as I can within the veteran community, so it’s always been a part of my life. 

“And then I come here, and as I work more with veteran students, I have been able to see how they transition and try my best to help. …. I meet the veterans and hear their stories, and I enjoy doing that.” 

She feels like what she does now at the Veterans Affairs Resource Center makes a difference in people’s lives. Navigating benefits can be confusing and complicated, and helping others do so can translate to potential work in a nursing home, like navigating Medicare and Medicaid. She also participates in volunteer experiences with Adopt Brookings. 

Atkinson said military service impacts entire families, and she’s appreciative of the Valor Scholars program in assisting those affected. She received the scholarship during her freshman year at SDSU and encourages other Chapter 35 students to apply. 

The SDState Veterans Affairs Office is in its third of five years distributing the Valor Partners Foundation scholarships, with Valor Partners paying for half of the scholarship funding and the SDSU Foundation raising money for the other half. This year, 10 scholarships at $5,000 apiece will be awarded to Chapter 35 students at SDSU.