As part of a social studies methods class to learn how to teach content that involves history and military service, Washburn University hosted a group of veterans and education majors during an event on the Topeka school’s campus this past week. 

“Our veterans get to tell their stories and our students get to listen to those stories,” said Cherry Steffen, a professor of education and chair of the Washburn University School of Applied Studies. “It’s ‘let me hear your voice and what message should I be sharing with my students?’” 

Veteran Todd Caldwell enlisted in the Kansas Army National Guard in 1984 and was later deployed to Bosnia in the early 1990s as part of the signal corps helicopter unit.  

“It was the best job of my entire life,” he told the Washburn education majors. “It’s one of the proudest things I’ve ever done.” 

Caldwell said he hopes the Washburn students and other future Kansas teachers can help their students better understand what patriotism means and the sacrifices veterans have made for keeping Americans safe at home and abroad. 

He’s encouraged, Caldwell said, to know the Pledge of Allegiance is still recited and hopes the teachers will explain to their students the pledge’s meaning. 

“I think it’s important for kids to understand why we do that, what those words mean,” he said.  

The work ethic created, employability skills gained and the brother/sisterhoods formed are aspects of the military Caldwell hopes teachers can also share with their students. 

“That sense of belonging,” he said, “it’s a big deal.” 

Zayreli Reyes is a current Washburn elementary education major who is currently enlisted in the U.S. Air Force. She said she believes she can bring a unique perspective to her future students on what it’s like to be a current military service person and the experience of having grown up as part of a military family. 

“I’ve seen so much, and I’ve been able to experience so much,” said Reyes, a graduate of St. John-Hudson High School. “I’ll be able to use real-life scenarios or tell a story to bring that into the classroom. There are also a lot of parents who are in the military and maybe I can be a help to them since I was a kid traveling a lot because of my dad being in the military. I think I can be that support some students may need.” 

Darlene Lillo attended Wednesday’s event at Washburn as part of a group that raises funds for the war memorial at Topeka’s historic Gage Park. While not a veteran herself, she knows well what it’s like to be a military child and hopes the future teachers are able to understand what military children may be going through. 

“They might not be as open to talking,” she said. “They might understand what’s going on at home.”  

Jadyn Nachtman, who graduated from high school in Lincoln, Neb., and is an elementary education major at Washburn, said children may not always understand why military service is so important to our nation’s history and safety. 

“It’s about looking at it (military service) with a little bit different historical lens and telling them more about what people have endured,” Nachtman said.  

Illiana Gallardo, a Washburn elementary education major and graduate of Seaman High School, said the experience of her and her classmates talking with the veterans and hearing their stories will help her students better understand to what is going on in today’s world and how important the military is to the protection of the U.S. 

“Being able to share this experience with my classmates and getting to meet the veterans and them sharing their stories will help me open the eyes of my future students on how they can be good citizens,” she said.