FAU MVSS Team represents at the 2026 Student Veterans of America (SVA) National Conference (NATCON) in Colorado Springs! 

On January 8-10, 2026, Florida Atlantic's team comprised of Military and Veteran Student Success (MVSS), Veteran Owls, and Student Veterans of America - FAU Chapter members attended the 2026 Student Veterans of America (SVA), National Conference (NATCON) in Colorado Springs, CO. The Florida Atlantic team was led by Assistant Director David Alphonso, MVSS, Division of Student Affairs. David was proud to be joined by Catalina Garcia, USMC Veteran, Graduate student, SVA Chapter Treasurer and Veteran Owls Treasurer, and Sydney Williams, MVSS, VA Work Study Student and military family member. Also in attendance was Millie Rivera, FAU Alumna and Talon Award Winner, and former President of the Florida Atlantic Veteran Owls and SVA - FAU Chapter. Millie is also a current member of the Florida Army National Guard and aspiring law school candidate. Millie represented Beneath the Service Initiative, Women Veterans Leadership Program at NATCON.

At the 18th Annual SVA NATCON, military-connected students and school professionals came together to share strategies, best practices, and partnerships to best engage our veteran student's and military family community. SVA NATCON workshops focus on veteran success, support of career initiatives, and overcoming common challenges faced with real-world solutions. SVA NATCON reframed the idea of military service not as separate from academics, but as a foundation upon which students can continue to advance.  Florida is proud to continue to advance and class-lead nationally amongst our military-connected student community. 

The Florida Atlantic team shared their thoughts about SVA NATCON 2026: 

"SVA NATCON was inspiring and an eye-opening experience. I felt empowered with how many tips and tools that we can bring back to our chapter and put into practice." - Catalina Garcia, USMC Veteran

"SVA NATCON was a very fun experience. I met a lot of cool people who had a lot of interesting and diverse perspectives on how to have more engagement." - Sydney Williams, Military family Member.

"As a returning attendee, SVA NATCON continues to leave a positive impression on me. Witnessing the passion and the consistent reinforcement of support for our military-connected students and supporting partners is unwavering. I'm grateful for the opportunity to be a part of and serve with the network of the student veteran community." - David Alphonso, Assistant Director, MVSS