College of the Ozarks students inducted into SALUTE Veterans National Honor Society

POINT LOOKOUT, MO. — On Friday, Nov. 3, five students were inducted into the College of the Ozarks chapter of the SALUTE Veterans National Honor Society.

SALUTE is an honors society that recognizes Veterans for their service, as well as their academic achievements. The first chapter was originally founded in 2009 by the Colorado State University Veterans Office and is supported by a grant from the American Council of Education and the Wal-Mart Foundation. Approximately 400 colleges participate in SALUTE, and over 20,000 students have been inducted into the society.

The College of the Ozarks chapter of SALUTE was initially established on Oct. 5, 2020, to better meet the needs of students who have served. Unfortunately, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted the development of the College of the Ozarks chapter. The induction of these students continues the history of SALUTE on the College of the Ozarks campus.

Students who wish to join a SALUTE chapter must be enrolled in a two-year or four-year institution of higher education and maintain a GPA of 3.0 or higher. They must be former or current servicemembers, and above all, they must adhere to the six values of the SALUTE model: Service, Academics, Leadership, Unity, Tribute, and Excellence.

The growth of the College of the Ozarks SALUTE chapter shows the dedication of student Veterans in academics. The inductees were addressed in the Knight Center for Patriotic Education by the honor society’s faculty sponsor, Capt. Caleb Dunnam, who is also a Missouri Army National Guard Chaplain and assistant professor of military science at College of the Ozarks.

“SALUTE is centered around the skills and leadership that student Veterans bring to college campuses across the country.” Dunnam said. “Student Veterans help mentor and lead their peers, as well as students in the classroom. You are the next best generation. As members of SALUTE, you will continue to embody our core values and continue to be the leaders on campus, our community, and our country.”

Following are the names of the students who were inducted into the SALUTE Veterans National Honor Society.

• Demarcus Powell-Long, senior exercise science major from Jackson, Tennessee; US Air Force veteran
• Ian Hallam, senior engineering major from Walker, Missouri; Missouri Army National Guard
• Ethan Herman, senior engineering major from Marshfield, Wisconsin; Missouri Army National Guard
• Jack Limburg, freshman biblical and theological studies major from Divide, Colorado; Missouri Army National Guard
• Chance Pinkerton, senior biblical and theological studies major from Linn, Missouri; Missouri Army National Guard 

The above press release is from College of the Ozarks.