UTC Veteran and Military Affairs office receives MOAA grant to support student needs

MOAA Chattanooga Chapter Treasurer Jack Mullinax, left, President Ray Mitchell and UTC Veteran and Military Affairs Director Sylvana Matthews. Photo by Angela Foster.

A grant from the Chattanooga Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s Office of Veteran and Military Affairs will help make a difference for student veterans.

On Friday, July 18, MOAA Chattanooga Chapter President Ray Mitchell and Treasurer Jack Mullinax—both UTC graduates and retired Army officers—presented a $500 check to Sylvana Matthews, director of UTC Veteran and Military Affairs, to support the office’s Tech for Vets initiative. The check presentation took place outside the VMA’s Hooper Hall office.

The Tech for Vets program provides vital tools—such as graphing calculators—to help student veterans succeed in the classroom.

“We’re very appreciative of MOAA,” Matthews said. “It’s a great feeling knowing that our military-connected students are supported not just on campus but throughout the community.

“This shows the heart of Chattanooga. It’s the very essence of why I feel that this department exists and will always exist.”

More than 15% of UTC’s student body is military-connected, including veterans, active-duty members, National Guard and Reserve personnel, and military spouses and dependents. In addition to helping students navigate benefits and career transitions, the VMA office maintains a strong local presence to increase visibility and access.

Matthews said the funds will be used to purchase additional TI-84 calculators, one of the most frequently requested items in the Tech for Vets program.

“They’re not the cheapest, but they’re the most utilized,” she said. “If an emergency situation happens during the day and they need a TI-84 calculator, they know they can get one for free here on campus.”

Dr. John Harbison, a retired U.S. Army officer and two-time UTC alum, now serves as a professor of practice in the University’s Learning and Leadership programs. A member of the local MOAA chapter, he helped spark the idea for the donation.

“When Ray brought up the topic of possibilities for grants, my mind started working,” Harbison recalled. “I’ve taught ROTC. I know there’s a lot of need out there, and I had worked with Sylvana before and saw what she was doing here. I thought, ‘I’m sure there are opportunities that we could support the students and help UTC continue to grow and be successful.’

“This is the first time we’ve done this, so this has been a trial balloon. We’re going to be imaginative and look for different ways that we can directly impact student veterans.”

Mitchell, a 1979 graduate in environmental studies: geosciences and retired lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, said the donation came through a national MOAA grant program that supports veteran-focused community outreach. The Chattanooga chapter applied after learning about Tech for Vets and saw it as an ideal opportunity to help local student veterans.

“Fortunately, UTC had asked for some help with equipment and things to help veterans that come to the University, so we were all over that,” Mitchell said. “We did get a small amount, but it’s a building process. The intent here is to show the good things that a little bit of money can give so that next year, we get a little bit more money to give. In the year after that, we get a little bit more.

“There are 22,000 veterans in the Chattanooga area. Many of them are younger and seeking educational opportunities; they need help and assistance in various areas. This is what we want to do—to give back.”

Mullinax, a 1989 UTC criminal justice graduate and retired Army major, echoed that sentiment.

“It’s a good feeling to come back and support the University,” he said. “We do have a lot of veterans in the area that go here, so we’re happy to do that.”

The Chattanooga Chapter of MOAA has approximately 160 members, including 21 surviving spouses. The chapter supports 17 local ROTC and JROTC programs and regularly participates in community observances such as Armed Forces Day, Memorial Day and Veterans Day. Founded in 1976 as a local chapter of The Retired Officers Association of America, it became affiliated with the Military Officers Association of America in 2003.

MOAA has more than 400 chapters worldwide and advocates for the interests of military personnel and their families, including benefits, education and support services.

“One of our mottos is, ‘Never stop serving,’ whether it’s the country, the college or the community,” Harbison said. “That’s what we do.”