U.S. Army veteran and App State Student Veterans Association President Jacob “Jack” Sullivan, a sophomore from Charlotte majoring in finance and banking. Photo by Chase Reynolds
BOONE, N.C. — As Appalachian State University prepares to observe Veterans Day, Student Veterans Association President Jacob “Jack” Sullivan is focused on supporting the growing community of military-affiliated students on campus.
Sullivan — a U.S. Army veteran and sophomore from Charlotte majoring in finance and banking — is working to expand outreach, build community and help fellow student veterans navigate college life. Like many of his peers, he’s balancing classes, work and leadership responsibilities, while also drawing on the skills and perspective he gained through military service.
The Student Veterans Association is a student-operated club that provides military veterans and their families with the resources, support and advocacy needed to succeed at App State. The association organizes projects and events related to veterans’ needs and issues while promoting community service and volunteerism.
“Jack has been a steady and effective leader for the Student Veterans Association and the Student Veteran Resource Center,” said Bethany Gonzalez ’16 ’22, associate director of military-affiliated services. “He has a proactive nature and ability to take initiative and drive projects forward.”
Jacob “Jack” Sullivan, fifth from left, is pictured with his platoon in northeastern Syria during his peacekeeping deployment in June 2022. Sullivan, an App State sophomore finance and banking major from Charlotte, served as an artillery forward observer with 2nd Platoon, Dog Company, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry out of Fort Drum, New York. Photo submitted
Army service and deployment
Through his military experience, Sullivan learned to be flexible, patient and creative in accomplishing his missions — skills that continue to guide him in the classroom and in his leadership of the Student Veterans Association.
After graduating from high school, Sullivan attended the University of North Carolina Wilmington, but at that time, he determined he was not ready to continue his education. Instead, he explored other options, which included earning a lineman certification and working at Pike Electric Corp. in Charlotte.
“I always wanted to serve — my grandfathers had done so,” Sullivan said. “However, I was nervous coming out of high school, and so many of my classmates were going on to college — I was hesitant to make that decision.”
Sullivan decided to join the U.S. Army, and he completed basic combat training at Fort Jackson in Columbia, South Carolina, and forward observer training — working with artillery and close air support — at the U.S. Army Fires Center of Excellence at Fort Sill near Lawton, Oklahoma. He reported for basic training in March 2020, just before national pandemic restrictions went into effect.
“Training under pandemic protocols was very different,” Sullivan said. “We had to wear masks and the drill sergeants had to keep their distance. We couldn’t do hand-to-hand training because we could not be in close proximity to one another. It was just a different atmosphere and experience from what I had anticipated.”
“Basic training was extended to accommodate the pandemic and reach the training objectives required for us to move forward in our service,” he continued. After finishing his initial training, he was assigned to the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum near Watertown, New York. While stationed at Fort Drum, his unit deployed to Syria.
“Our role in northern Syria — near Turkey and Iraq — was to provide an American presence to work with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces to help de-escalate tension in the region,” Sullivan explained. “Russian forces would do joint patrols with Turkish forces, and we would meet them during our patrols in a peaceful manner.”
While deployed, he worked with U.S. Air Force Joint Terminal Attack Controllers, or JTACs, to communicate with helicopters and other close air support. While his service was rewarding, Sullivan said it took a toll on him physically, leading to his medical retirement from the Army.
App State student veteran and sophomore finance and banking major Jacob “Jack” Sullivan, of Charlotte, is pictured in his official military photo from his service in the U.S. Army. Photo submitted
Pictured in Syria, from left to right: Sgt. Eaton Powell, Spc. Jacob “Jack” Sullivan and Air Force Tech Sgt. Shawn Ireland enjoy a moment of camaraderie during their June 2022 deployment. Sullivan, a Charlotte native, is a sophomore at App State majoring in finance and banking while serving as president of the university’s Student Veterans Association. Photo submitted
Leading and supporting App State student veterans
As Sullivan entered his military retirement, he began exploring his next steps. He shared that his decision to attend App State came naturally — his love for the outdoors, combined with his banking knowledge and experience helping fellow soldiers with their finances, led him to pursue a major in finance and banking in the Walker College of Business.
“While I was in service, I would try to help soldiers in my unit based on my own personal finance experiences,” Sullivan said. “I would tell them, ‘Don’t spend all of your deployment money on a new car.’ Then I would show them how they could set up some savings or investments.”
Sullivan said he has been positively influenced by his experience with App State’s Student Veteran Services. Student Veteran Services and the Major General Edward M. Reeder Student Veteran Resource Center serve as a central hub for all things “military-affiliated” at App State. The office and center provide programs, such as academic advising and career counseling, and services — priority registration and transfer credit for military experience — along with resources to assist military-affiliated students throughout their entire higher education journeys and beyond.
“Coming to App State as a veteran, I was like, I will go to Veteran Services for what I need and that’s it,” Sullivan said. “I don’t know why, but I found myself coming into the office a lot and talking with people. I found myself relating to this group more so than some of my younger classmates. This community became my friend group.”
As SVA president, Sullivan wants to lessen the negative stigma some veterans have about accepting assistance or support and expand the welcoming atmosphere he has encountered at the office.
“Jack’s leadership has helped strengthen the sense of community among our student veterans,” Gonzalez said. “He has come up with several new wellness-focused initiatives, such as yoga and pickleball, for student engagement, and is always willing to put in the work behind the scenes — like welcoming new military Mountaineers and their families during summer orientations — to make sure things run smoothly.”
He encourages student veterans to join social events so they can see they don’t have to tackle college alone. He also wants this student population to understand that App State’s Student Veteran Services and the Student Veteran Resource Center are safe spaces with like-minded people who can help them navigate personal and professional paths and challenges.
“Veterans should come by the Student Veteran Services office and start participating in our events,” Sullivan said. “It is good to branch out and do more things than just go to class and go home. It is important to have social interaction, and this is a great place to do so while having fun.”
What do you think?
Share your feedback on this story.
About Appalachian’s Student Veteran Services
Student Veteran Services at Appalachian State University is dedicated to helping the university’s military-affiliated students thrive on campus and in the Boone community. The unit does so by connecting student veterans and military-affiliated students with services and resources that are commensurate with their needs, capabilities and contributions. These resources and services include the Major General Edward M. Reeder Jr. Student Veteran Resource Center, priority registration, scholarship opportunities, a Student Veteran Association and others. Learn more at https://militarystudents.appstate.edu.
About Appalachian State University
As a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, cost-effective education. The university enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online. Learn more at https://www.appstate.edu.
![Lights Over Linville — Brown Mountain’s Enduring Mystery [faculty featured]](/_images/_posts/2025/10/lights-over-linville-600x400.jpg)
