UMB celebrates student veterans with a special giveaway in honor of Veterans Day.
Photo: President Jarrell, Shannon Long, and Matthew Link on Veterans Day. Photo by Matthew D'Agostino
Two University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) student veterans, Matthew Link and Shannon Long, will be attending the Army-Navy football game for the first time this year, thanks to a Veterans Day-inspired UMB ticket giveaway to honor the service and sacrifice of those who have worn the nation’s uniform and pursued higher education at UMB.
Link and Long were randomly selected to each receive two tickets to the storied rivalry game, which will be held at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore on Dec. 13, plus a goodie bag filled with UMB swag.
While entries were received from applicants from a variety of military branches, Link and Long, fittingly, served in the Army and Navy, respectively. Link served from 2002 to 2022 and retired at the rank of Chief Warrant Officer 3. Long served as a Master-at-Arms, Third Class, for four years beginning in February 2013.
Both student veterans bring a deep sense of purpose and leadership to their academic and professional goals.
“I served in the U.S. Army for 20 years because I believe in serving others,” Link said. “I wanted future generations to have the freedoms I grew up with and hoped that by serving I could leave a better country for them. It wasn’t easy, but nothing worth doing ever is.”
Link now hopes to continue serving others when he earns his Doctor of Physical Therapy degree through the University of Maryland School of Medicine’s Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science.
Long, a student at the University of Maryland School of Social Work, says she is excited to attend her first Army-Navy game. “When I was enlisted, I spent four years in the security department at the Naval Academy, providing security for the Midshipmen during their football games in Annapolis, but I never had the chance to work an Army-Navy game,” she said.
As for life after service as she pursues a Master of Social Work degree, Long said, “Joining the Navy gave me the opportunity to be the first in my family to attend college. When it comes to [my education], UMB has been incredibly supportive in helping me navigate my [military] benefits during my first semester.”
She credits the Division of Student Affairs and her professors with being quick to listen to her concerns, offer guidance, and connect her with the “right people.”
“They’ve shown that they genuinely care about my experience and are truly committed to supporting veterans,” Long said.
Likewise, Link says UMB has been “very welcoming and supportive as I have returned to civilian life as a student veteran.”
Both students say they’re looking forward to experiencing the excitement of one of the nation’s greatest sports rivalries for the first time in person — and cheering on their branches with pride.
“UMB is proud to honor the men and women who have served our country,” said UMB President Bruce E. Jarrell, MD, FACS. “Their dedication, leadership, and resilience strengthen our University community and inspire all of us to serve with the same commitment and purpose in all parts of our lives.”