By Suzy Alstrin
Twenty students at Reinhardt University currently receive veteran’s benefits, including six who served in the military. Veterans, including staff and alumni, are vital contributors to the University community, and the institution expresses gratitude for their commitment to defending our freedom.
On Veteran’s Day, in recognition of all veterans, alumnus Ryan Patrick Neill (RU-2024) delivered a luncheon address. Reflecting on his seven years of active duty as an infantryman in the U.S. Army, Neill said, “Time is the most precious resource that we have. The greatest sacrifice of a veteran is often overlooked and that’s the time away from their loved ones. I ask on each Veteran’s Day that you think of that time and how you would use it to be with loved ones. That time has been secured by selfless men and women who gave theirs in exchange.” Following his service, Neill earned a degree through Reinhardt’s Price School of Education and now teaches at Pickens High School.
“I like to think of Veteran’s Day as a good way to spot other veterans and share stories,” said Navy veteran Elizabeth Harbeke (RU-Dec. 2025). She aims to be an operating room nurse and studies at Reinhardt’s Cauble School of Nursing and Health Sciences. Harbeke expressed gratitude for the education funding earned through her military service, “The administration in Reinhardt’s business office has been wonderful with the GI Bill. I really appreciate how quick and efficient they are.”
While serving in the Navy from 2011 to 2017, Harbeke worked on radars and radios on a destroyer based in San Diego and Hawaii. She also served as a part of the medical training team on the Naval ship. “From there, I knew I wanted to go into medicine and nursing,” Harbecke explained. “My ship is where I met my husband, and he is from Georgia. I did some research and Reinhardt fit everything that I wanted in a school. The nursing program has great clinical areas, a gorgeous campus, and it aligns with my values.”
National Guard veteran Geoff Smith looked forward to attending Reinhardt’s Veteran’s Day event. From 1959 to 1965 Smith served in the National Guard in the Nike-Ajax Missile Unit, working with the first intercontinental defense missile and charged with guarding the US-Canda border. He later attended college while working and appreciates the challenges of being a veteran student. For the past 22 years, he has served as a volunteer in charge of ushering at the Falany Performing Arts Center’s performances.
The reflections of Neill, Harbeke, and Smith serve as an inspirational reminder to honor veterans’ sacrifices and their continued commitment to enriching our community.
