Greg Hillman, junior social work student and officer of the Wolf Pack Veterans Club, is a nominee for the Student Veterans of America (SVA) Student Veteran of the Year award. The SVA is comprised of 1,500 chapters across the U.S. with roughly 600,000 student members. Hillman is one of 10 students who are finalists for this award, among hundreds of applicants. 

“I was honored and encouraged about the nomination. I am really excited that veterans in Northern Nevada have access to a program like SVA and that we get to partake on the national stage in this way,” Hillman said. “I am also grateful for the support of the veterans' center at the University of Nevada, Reno and the community and support they provide.” 

The criteria for this award are a student’s leadership skills in their community and the finalists are those who have “made a positive impact on the lives of fellow student veterans or the veteran community,” according to the SVA website.

Assistant Director for Veterans’ Services and Wolf Pack Veterans Club Advisor John Pratt explained what sets Hillman apart as a candidate for this award.

“What truly distinguishes Greg from his peers is his dedication, compassion and unwavering commitment to the veteran community. He is actively involved in at least six programs within the Northern Nevada community.

“In addition, he is developing an emerging nonprofit initiative, Semper Resurgo (“Always Rise”), which focuses on supporting veterans and their families through reintegration, rehabilitation and community growth. Most recently, Greg has [also] taken on the role of SVA liaison for the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) in collaboration with TMCC and the University,” Pratt said.

The impact of being recognized as a finalist will span beyond Hillman and through the broader University veteran community. 

“My hope is that the effect of this nomination results in highlighting the program John Pratt and Chai Glenn-Cook have built at the University for the student veterans here. I would love to see more Veterans find a space where they can feel encouraged to grow and find connection after service, and military connected family can feel like they belong,” Hillman said.  

The finalists for the award will be attending the annual SVA conference – NatCon – in Colorado Springs, Colorado, in January 2026, and the winner will be announced during the convention.