Veterans of the Month

UConn’s Veteran of the Month – Heather Sandler

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The Office of Veterans & Military Programs (VAMP) at UConn is pleased to recognize Heather Sandler as UConn’s Veteran of the Month.  Heather Sandler is a UConn Alumna, Navy Veteran, and keynote speaker at UConn’s Annual Veterans Day Ceremony this year. Heather Sandler, MSW currently is a Vocational Rehabilitation counselor with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. She spent 2 years as a Management Analyst and Employment Coordinator. She previously was employed by U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal as a Senior Constituent Liaison for Military and Veteran Affairs.

Mrs. Sandler enlisted and served on active duty in the United States Navy from 1995-2005 completing four deployments in ten years — two while on the USS Abraham Lincoln CVN-72 in support of Operation Southern Watch and two on the USS Harry Truman CVN-75 with Strike Fighter Squadron 37 in Support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. She completed a shore duty rotation to VX-23, Naval Aircraft Test Squadron. During her final deployment on the USS Truman, she served as the night shift Quality Assurance Supervisor. Heather earned three Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals and three Navy Good Conduct medals during her ten-year enlistment and was honorably discharged in 2005 at the rank of Petty Officer First Class.

While working on the staff of U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal, Mrs. Sandler provided advocacy and assistance to the Veterans and their families of CT with the Department of Defense, Department of Veteran Affairs, and National Personnel Records Center as well as several other government agencies. She serves as a member of the CT Women’s Veterans Network and served as one of Senator Blumenthal’s academy panelists, interviewing candidates for the U.S. Naval Academy and U.S. Military Academy at West Point. She is a member of Senator Christopher Murphy’s Veteran’s Advisory Council.

Heather was the first co-chair and founder of the CT Veterans Engagement Board with General Dan McHale (ret).

She is a past participant of the Veteran’s History Project and speaks to high school and college students regarding her time in the military and has spoken with Daria Sommers at a viewing of her film “Lioness” at Central Connecticut State University, Women in Film Festival. She speaks about her experiences as a woman serving our country and is a frequent speaker at colleges and universities on this topic.

Mrs. Sandler earned her Bachelor of Science in Human Services/Social Services from Elmira College, Elmira, New York and her Master of Social Work from the University of Connecticut, School of Social Work. This is where she completed work at the CT Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association and the CT Commission on Aging. She is a graduate of the Nancy Humpherys Campaign school and a prior presenter on training social workers to participate and run for political office.

Mrs. Sandler is a past participant in the Fisher House Fundraiser—Dancing with the Heros, and a volunteer at South Park Inn’s Veteran’s Drop-in Center. She was appointed to the Board of Trustees at the State Department of Veteran Affairs in 2019 by Governor Ned Lamont and continues to serve on the Board. Mrs. Sandler is in the Class of 2020 CT Veteran’s Hall of Fame.

Mrs. Sandler resides in Glastonbury with her husband Saul Sandler since 2006 and is the proud hockey mom of two boys, 18-year-old Joshua and 14-year-old Max. She is the daughter of United States Air Force Veteran, Paul Belanger, and the granddaughter of a United States Navy Veteran Raymond Belanger.

If you would like to nominate a student, faculty, or staff member for “Veteran of the Month,” please contact Nikki Eberly at with the name of the person and reasons for your nomination.

UConn’s Student Veteran of the Month – Zhiling Lin

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Zhiling Lin

The Office of Veterans & Military Programs (VAMP) at UConn is pleased to recognize Zhiling Lin as UConn’s Student Veteran of the Month.  Zhiling Lin is a cadet in the Air Force ROTC Program at UConn. Within Air Force ROTC, Zhiling is active in UConn’s Arnold Air Society, ensuring proper protocol is followed for our regional conclave where hundreds of cadets from across New England gather to select the next regional headquarters. Last year, Zhiling oversaw an event that brought together over 100 students and cadets from four states. She currently serves as the Color Guard Officer for the Cloutier Rifles Precision Drill Team, training cadets in color guard procedures and leading performances at UConn sporting events. She shares that she has personally participated in more than 15 color guard events, representing both UConn and the Air Force with pride. Beyond campus, Zhiling has helped regenerate the Flying Yankee Chapter of the Air & Space Forces Association and currently serves as its Executive Vice President, working with regional and national leaders to strengthen the military–civilian bond through service projects. Recently, Zhiling led the UConn’s POW/MIA Remembrance Event, a 24-hour service run where participants carried the POW/MIA flag to honor those who never returned home. The event brought together 138 participants, including six marathon runners, and showcased the incredible energy and dedication of the UConn community.

Currently a junior, majoring in Mathematics – Actuarial Science, Zhiling’s primary goal is to graduate from UConn and commission as a U.S. Air Force officer, with the dream of becoming either a C-17 cargo pilot (11MX) or an Intelligence Officer (14N). Academically, Zhiling aims to deepen her knowledge, form close relationships with others, and, above all, fly. To support this dream, she has been awarded two Air Force ROTC scholarships for flight training, which have allowed her to log 21 flight hours toward earning her private pilot license. Zhiling plans to commission as Second Lieutenant in the United States Air Force in Spring 2027.

Zhiling values UConn’s welcoming environment, which fosters a strong sense of community and support as she pursues both academic and military goals. Advice Zhiling shares with fellow students is that “cognitive growth is not about sudden inspiration, it comes from consistent, deliberate practice. First, seek out high-quality information and challenge yourself to break free from information bubbles so you can reflect deeply. Second, force yourself to share what you learn through conversation or writing, because explaining ideas exposes gaps in understanding and sharpens thinking. Finally, create personal rituals for reflection, such as setting monthly topics for self-evaluation, to build steady progress over time. The goal of cognitive improvement is not to be superior to others, but to take fewer detours, avoid manipulation, and live with purpose. With steady input, thoughtful output, and intentional habits, you can achieve success in any career path.”

If you would like to nominate a student, faculty, or staff member for “Veteran of the Month,” please contact Nikki Eberly at with the name of the person and reasons for your nomination.

UConn’s Employee Veteran of the Month

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Roger Nadeau

The Office of Veterans & Military Programs (VAMP) at UConn is pleased to recognize Roger Nadeau as UConn’s Employee Veteran of the Month.  Roger served as an Aviation Electronics Technician, 2nd Class (AT2) from 2001-2006.  During his time in the military, he got to work on some of the most notable military aircraft in the world, F-14 Tomcats with squadron VF-101 Grim Reaper’s, F/A-18 Super Hornets with squadron VFA-106 Gladiator’s, and SH-60B Seahawk Helicopters with squadron HSL-44 Swamp Fox.  He was honored as VF-101 Plane Captain of the year and got to fly a T-34 plane. 

Roger was hired at UConn as a Power Plant Operator, and soon after as an Electronics Technician at the Cogeneration Plant.  He says that he has been able to do what he loves for nearly 20 years:  working with electronics, troubleshooting, programming, calibrating.  Nearly 8 years ago, Roger and one of his co-workers started UConn’s Metering Department where they design and build electronics that help monitor energy usage and collect data UConn.  Roger also programs graphical interfaces to allow us to see the data and report it so that everyone can see how efficient the university is doing, helping to achieve the University’s goals.

Roger’s advice to his colleagues and students on-campus, and in recognition of the recent Mental Health awareness month, and his own struggles through life, he says “that one way or another, we are all here, together, striving to make the best of our futures;  we all experience highs and lows in life, and at times we may need a helping hand to get back up.  Mental health can be debilitating at times, and sometimes we need to talk to someone about our struggles.  The tools you’ll get to help yourself, can very well lead you to helping someone else in need.”   

If you would like to nominate a student, faculty, or staff member for “Veteran of the Month,” please contact Nikki Eberly at with the name of the person and reasons for your nomination.

UConn’s Student Veteran of the Month

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Olivia Giuffria

The Office of Veterans & Military Programs (VAMP) at UConn is pleased to recognize Olivia Giuffria as UConn’s Student Veteran of the Month.  Olivia is a member of the Air National Guard in Health Management Administration (4A0X1) within the 103rd Medical Group. Her additional duties include CPR instructor and CUI manager in addition to being a functional training manager for her section where she oversees the education and training. She enlisted in January 2021 and was just promoted to Staff Sergeant. Olivia’s dad is an Air Force veteran, and her brother is also active-duty Air Force, so it’s a great experience bringing her family to promotions and other family-oriented events for the military.

One of her most memorable experiences was going to Okinawa, Japan for AT in September 2024 where she trained & shadowed at the naval hospital for 3 weeks, learning how the different services work together and see how a military hospital works. On the way to/from Japan they also stopped in Alaska and Seattle and had the opportunity to explore those places too.

Olivia came to UConn in January 2022 after coming home from initial bootcamp/tech school training. She started on the pre-med track as a Physiology & Neurobiology student, but last year she realized that she wanted to do nursing.  So, she applied to the Nursing program, got in, and is now a nursing student set to graduate in 2027! Her goal is to become an ICU nurse and commission as a nurse into the Air Force and join the Critical Care Air Transport Team (CCATT). She currently works as a patient care technician at Hartford Hospital in the Neuro-Trauma ICU to gain experience. Besides her academic goals, Olivia wants to get out of her comfort zone and build close relationships. Over the past few years, she shares that it’s been important to join different clubs and get involved, to meet new people and build friendships. One of Olivia’s favorite parts about being a UConn student is going to the sports games and working as an RA. She loves putting on events for her residents and making different goodies for them such as treats or goodie bags to help build community and foster friendships. She has also met amazing people within the different RA staffs which has been amazing.

One piece of advice Olivia would give to fellow students is “to not be afraid to change paths mid college and to reach out if you need help. College is not easy, but there are so many great resources available to us that can make our life a little easier! Choosing a career path can also be very intimidating and challenging, so don’t be afraid to switch majors or paths if you feel that is right for you. It is better to get a degree in something you know will be right for you, even if it takes a little bit more time.”

If you would like to nominate a student, faculty, or staff member for “Veteran of the Month,” please contact Nikki Eberly at with the name of the person and reasons for your nomination.