Dedication Set for New Veteran Residence

The College of Saint Rose, with a long track record of being named best among colleges in serving veterans, will dedicate its new residence hall specifically for student veterans on October 18 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The renovation of the residence hall, now known as the Veteran Residence, was possible thanks to the generosity of the Massry Family, which includes Saint Rose Board of Trustees Vice Chair I. Norman Massry and Trustee Julie Massry Knox G’04, and the support of Tri-City Rentals. Last year, the Massry Family also gave Saint Rose a $100,000 gift to support scholarships for veterans whose education at Saint Rose was not fully funded by their military benefits. Additional donors later matched their gift.

The Veteran Residence, a Victorian-style house at 971 Madison Avenue, has six large bedrooms and 2 ½ bathrooms, as well as a shared kitchen, living room, and laundry facilities.

Among the house’s residents is Jevon Schmitz, a 26-year-old, first-year student in the Huether School of Business, who served eight years in the U.S. Army as an airborne infantryman. He deployed to Afghanistan in 2012 and 2014. Schmitz is currently in ROTC and plans to return to the military after graduating from Saint Rose. His goal is to be commissioned into the military intelligence field.

“(Choosing to live in the house) came down to my age and the new mentality I picked up when I was in the military,” Schmitz said. “I wasn’t fully adjusted – even though the Army gives you two weeks of adjustment training. I didn’t want to risk going into an environment with 17- and 18-year-olds and losing myself, if that makes sense.”

The dedication event will begin with a formal program in a tent on the campus green behind the Veteran Residence at 5:30 p.m. on October 18 and continue with the ribbon-cutting ceremony on the steps of the building, followed by tours of the space and a reception inside the Saint Rose Veteran Center, located next to the Veteran Residence.

Read more about it here.