Veterans Day Profile: Averett Student and Veteran Lindsey Davis

Posted on November 11th, 2021 by Matt Bell

This Veterans Day, Averett University recognizes the sacrifices and oftentimes long periods of distance and time between military members and their families.

For nearly 250 years, thousands of men and women have answered the call of duty and worn the uniform of their respective branch of service. While some gave all, paying the ultimate sacrifice on the battlefield and beyond, all gave some. This day, November 11, is to honor veterans who have served near and far.

Averett is proud of its alumni and students who are veterans of the United States military – some of whom attend classes through Averett Online from around the globe.

University Registrar Janet Roberson said among the University’s students who are veterans, the most popular course of study is business, followed by nursing and aeronautics.

Among the aeronautics students is junior Lindsey Davis, a Gretna, Va. native who chose to study at Averett at the recommendation of clients while working as a hairstylist.

“I got so tired of missing working in aviation and then after quarantine, everything had changed. I had told some aeronautics students about making a career change and they said I should. I went to the Averett website and clicked to get more info. The next week, I was sitting in the classroom. It happened so fast,” Davis said. She is majoring in aviation business management.

Davis joined the Marine Corps during Operation Iraqi Freedom and fully expected to serve in Iraq at some point during her four years of service, during which she advanced to the rank of Corporal.

“I was inspired to join because I felt if I did, other people wouldn’t have to. I was supposed to be going to Iraq in 2006, but at the last minute, they changed my orders,” Davis said.

While stationed in Okinawa, Japan, Davis’ orders changed and she was sent to Yuma, Ariz. instead of Iraq. She shared it was disappointing to learn of the change.

“It’s an emotional roller coaster because you prepare yourself to go…and then all of a sudden, you’re not. And then you have people who you become really close with that do get to go, and it was a little disappointing,” Davis said.

In Okinawa, Davis was responsible for communicating with air traffic control, including letting them know when planes were expected to arrive and coordinating fuel. Her workday usually lasted 8 to 10 hours.

After making the transition back stateside, Davis’ work continued at the airfield in Yuma. She continued doing flight scheduling, and also had to prepare the flight planning room for pilots and set it up when VIPs arrived.

“President [George W.] Bush came in once to Yuma to visit the station, and we had to prepare for his arrival,” Davis said.

Additionally, Davis taught the airfield driving course for anyone who had to navigate around the airfield. She also worked in a search and rescue unit. Because Yuma is mostly desert, if someone got lost, Davis and a team of other soldiers would be dispatched to go by helicopter and perform search operations.

While located in Yuma, Davis received the Naval and Marine Corps Achievement Medal for coordinating over 2,000 passenger and supply flights, most of which were done on very little notice. She also received the Naval and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon and the Rifle Sharpshooter Badge.

Now that Davis has begun taking classes at Averett, she is looking forward to the next step in her professional career.

“I have so many professors who are willing to point me in the right direction. They have been extremely helpful even with setting me up for a career after Averett,” Davis said. “I would love to work for an airline or a private jet company, or as an FBO manager, perhaps.”

As for Veterans Day, Davis hopes all take a moment to be thankful for those who have served.

“I think Veterans Day is a day to honor all veterans, and a lot of people get it confused with Memorial Day, which is a day to honor the fallen. I think it’s important because we should all be thankful for veterans and keeping this country a free place to live. Personally, I am thankful for veterans paving the way of us being able to live the way that we do.”

Averett and the Military

Averett has been recognized through several third-party endorsements a number of times in recent years for being very military friendly, reinforcing the commitment we at Averett have to serving our women and men of the military.

Veterans and current members of the military (both active and reserve) have a number of options available to them through Averett, including a generous 25% military discount for active duty military and their family members, accelerated classes like those offered at our site at the Marine Corps Base at Quantico, competitive financial aid offerings to qualifying students, and dedicated and specialty support for active duty military, veterans and their families.

Averett is a Yellow Ribbon Program and other GI Bill® Chapters participant. The annual Dan Daniel Military Resale Invitational (MRI) Endowed Scholarship dinner and golf tournament at Andrews Air Force Base raises money for Averett students who have are active duty or veterans of the military, or are military family members. Since its establishment in 2011-12, there have been 26 student recipients scholarship with more than $60,000 in awards distributed during that timeframe.

On Averett’s Main Campus, a dedicated Veteran’s Lounge serves as a quiet area where only veterans are allowed to relax, study and fellowship with one another. The University has welcomed a number of decorated active duty and retired military leaders as commencement speakers and honored guests to campus events.