Brandon Schoonover doesn’t take Viterbo University’s well-established reputation as a military friendly school for granted. As president of Viterbo’s Student Veterans of America chapter, he’s doing everything he can to strengthen and enhance that support for military-aligned students.
Growing up in Champaign, Ill., Schoonover didn’t see college in his future. His home life was so unstable, even getting through high school was in doubt. When he graduated in 2007, he saw military service as his best hope for a career, so he enlisted in the U.S. Navy.
After serving almost eight years, including two combat deployments, Schoonover tried community college but soon dropped out, feeling directionless, and took a job in sales. In 2020, he began working as a community outreach specialist for the Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs, helping veterans, soldiers, and their families.
A few years ago, though, he was drawn again to further his education, in part to set an example for his children, now 13 and 9 years old.
What an example he has set. He started taking courses at Western Technical College, then transferred to Viterbo in fall 2023, all the while continuing to work full time for the Department of Military Affairs. A senior psychology major with a minor in substance abuse counseling, Schoonover is a regular on the dean’s list and was selected to take part this fall (Oct. 17-20) in the national Student Veterans of America Leadership Institute in Washington, D.C., one of 67 total participants and the only one from Wisconsin.
With 750,000 members, Schoonover noted, the Student Veterans of America is the third largest veterans organization in the country. That status is reflected in the location of the SVA headquarters, which is practically in the White House’s backyard and is home to the desk on which the G.I. Bill was written in 1944.
The SVA Leadership Institute is an immersive experience designed to help participants define and develop their core values and personal leadership ethos. To Schoonover’s amazement, he was paired with two mentors, veterans who work in leadership roles for Microsoft and LinkedIn.
“It was empowering to see veterans make that transition,” Schoonover said. “We learned so much about leadership, about how to apply your military experience in a civilian context. I think the Leadership Institute does a great job of preparing the next generation of leaders. The key to being a good leader at the end of the day is building a good network of people.”
Taking on leadership of Viterbo’s SVA chapter as president last year, Schoonover instinctively sought to make connections across campus (from the Student Government Association to campus ministry and beyond) and build a network to make the organization stronger. And it’s working.
The Viterbo SVA chapter this year, for example, has hosted several bowling events and movie nights, open to all students, and a brat fry fundraiser that will pay for members to go to a January SVA conference in Colorado.
“In my time here, this is the most active the SVA has been, and it’s largely because of Brandon’s efforts,” said Ryan Thibodeau, interim director of military student success for Viterbo. “We’re making progress in getting across the message, also, that you don’t actually have to be a veteran to get involved in the Viterbo SVA chapter. In fact, you don’t even have to have a connection to the military at all.”
Schoonover said he’d love to get more people involved in SVA, whether it’s veterans, military spouses or dependents, or students who have no military link at all. In the end, the goal is to ensure that veterans have the feeling that they fit in, that they belong, which is essential to college success for anyone.
Besides fitting in, another important part of Schoonover’s college success is figuring out his mission in life. After he graduates next May, he plans to go on to grad school for a master’s degree in social work, after which he’d like to serve the veteran community, eventually in a leadership and policy-making capacity.
“I think I’ve always had this helping mindset,” Schoonover said. “I love helping and mentoring people.”
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