Why I'm Participating in the Big House 5K: Lydia Pinkham
2/6/2020 11:00:00 AM | Features, Community Engagement
The 2020 Big House 5K presented by Toyota will benefit six local, non-profit organizations selected based on the support they provide to our Washtenaw County community in key areas like housing, healthcare, the arts, youth programming and social services. In the weeks leading up to the race, MGoBlue.com will share stories from people inspired to participate this year because of one of the beneficiaries.
Please note: The University of Michigan Athletics Department and U-M health professionals are closely monitoring the spread of COVID-19 and the resulting impact on our communities. In alignment with the University's protocols, we have canceled the 2020 Big House 5K. However, the 2020 race has moved to a virtual format. In the interest of "social distancing," we are encouraging our registrants to support our beneficiaries and participate in our Virtual #BigHouse5K.
By Lydia Pinkham
My name is Lydia Pinkham and I am running in the Big House 5K to represent PAVE (Peer Advisors for Veteran Education). I'm a senior studying geology and biological anthropology, and I'm a veteran of the United States Coast Guard.
I enlisted because it gave me a way to pay for school, but it was also an opportunity for growth and direction (and as my mom would say, a little bit of discipline). I was first stationed on a ship that patrolled the Pacific Ocean, from the Bering Sea south to Panama and Colombia. We inspected fishing boats in the Bering and we ran down drug boats in the south. I was later stationed in Florida at a search-and-rescue station where I served as a first responder, a law enforcement officer and a tactical operations crew member.
A few years into my enlistment, I began attending school part-time to work on general degree requirements. After six years in the service, I completed my enlistment and applied to the University of Michigan. I arrived here as a transfer student about two years ago. During my first semester, I realized how hard it could be on a new campus -- a decade older than the other students -- adjusting to a new environment (I moved here from Florida in the middle of winter), but also adjusting to civilian life.
When my semester started, I was introduced to my PAVE advisor. PAVE is a program that matches student veteran advisors with incoming students who may need help with everything from registering for VA health benefits to finding the gym on campus. Advisors are sometimes the only person that a new student knows on campus; in my case, my advisor was the only person I met with outside of class for my entire first semester. He introduced me to a network of veterans on campus who quickly became friends and reminded me of the camaraderie of the military. It was a group that not only understood all of my acronyms, but understood the transition to civilian life and how challenging it can be. This group of students (and some faculty and alumni) has turned out to be the most valuable resource I have here on campus, and has made my time here better for my education as well as my mental health.
Running in the Big House 5K is not only a unique experience or a way to exercise, but also a way to highlight PAVE and the effect that a strong veteran community on a university's campus can have for the success of its student veterans. It gives me a chance to give back to a program that has positively influenced my time here, and to help make that impact possible for future students.
To register for the Big House 5K presented by Toyota and further support our race beneficiaries, visit MGoBlue.com/bighouse5k.
About PAVE
Universities and community colleges are seeing a large influx of veterans due, in part, to the implementation of the Post 9-11 GI Bill. Over 2 million student veterans are expected to be on college campuses in 2020. However, access to college education does not guarantee success. The dual transitions from the military to civilian life and the military to academia can be challenging. Numerous studies on the effectiveness of peer-to-peer approaches have demonstrated that peers "who have been there" can be a credible source of support, help overcome the stigma around asking for help, and open the door to improved well-being. That is the rationale behind PAVE. Peer Advisors for Veteran Education (PAVE) is a peer support program that connects incoming student veterans with student veterans already on campus in order to help ease the transition from the military to academic life. Veteran peers who have "been there" can be a credible source of support, and can facilitate connection to needed resources. PAVE builds on the camaraderie veterans experience in the military to create a sense of community and connectedness that contributes to academic and personal success. For more information, visit m-span.org/pave
