Six award-winning student veterans' organizations (SVOs) are competing this weekend in Operation Diploma's invitation-only SVO Hall of Fame Competition, which is aimed at showcasing the talents and achievements of the best of Indiana's SVOs.
On Sat., Oct. 27, the SVOs will present to a panel of expert judges before a live audience at the NCAA Hall of Champions in downtown Indianapolis. The event is the culmination of previously-held grant competitions sponsored by Operation Diploma, MFRI's post-secondary education initiative.
The panel of judges was selected due to their broad range of unique backgrounds and expertise.
Retired U.S. Navy Commander Timothy Downing has experienced multiple deployments and concluded his military career by serving as executive officer at Purdue's NROTC. He is now a second-year dental student at IU School of Dentistry.
Nathalie Duval-Couetil is director of the Burton D. Morgan. Center for Entrepreneurship's Certificate in Entrepreneurship Innovation Program, and spent many years in the field of marketing research.
Donald MacKay is director of business integration at Sears Holdings, Inc.
And Michael Dakduk, a former member of the Marine Special Operations Unit, is executive director of Student Veterans of America, a nonprofit coalition of student veterans groups on college campuses across the globe.
In anticipation of the event, Dakduk spoke to Purdue's WBAA. You can listen to the interview here.