On Thursday, October 15, fourteen members of the St. James Catholic School Jr. Beta Club, led by Mrs. Peak, visited the Carl M. Brashear Veterans Center for a day filled with connection, conversation, and community. This visit marked the beginning of a special partnership between SJS Jr. Beta Club and the Veterans Center for the 2026–2027 school year, with the hope that this meaningful relationship will continue for years to come.
Our students were warmly welcomed by Amanda Duvall, Life Enrichment Director, who introduced them to what makes the center so unique. Students learned that the hallways are called neighborhoods and are named after ships on which Carl Brashear served. We also learned why Thursday was the perfect day for our visit: it is the day residents participate in their “Battle Buddies” program. The program recognizes that we all face battles in life, whether or not those battles took place on a battlefield.
We began our visit with a learning circle designed to break the ice. Students and residents were invited to share their favorite games, and it didn’t take long to discover how much they had in common! From there, everyone joined in a friendly game of Jeopardy, forming two teams made up of students and veterans. It was wonderful to watch conversations unfold, laughter fill the room, and connections begin to form across generations.
After the game, we shared lunch with the residents, giving everyone more time to talk, learn about one another, and build new friendships. What started as a first meeting quickly became a reminder that, despite differences in age and life experiences, we have so much to share with one another.
And this is only the beginning!
On Tuesday, our students will return to the Veterans Center to conduct more personal interviews as part of a special project that will be unveiled during St. James Catholic School’s annual Veterans Day Ceremony. We are especially excited that residents will be joining us at SJS for this meaningful celebration. The residents are already looking forward to welcoming our students back and making the trip to St. James!
We are grateful to Amanda Duvall and the entire Carl M. Brashear Veterans Center team for welcoming our students and helping us begin what we hope will be a lasting partnership. This experience is a wonderful opportunity for our Jr. Beta Club members to practice service, compassion, and gratitude while learning firsthand the value of listening to and honoring the stories of others.
Please enjoy a few pictures from our first visit linked here. We can’t wait to see where this special partnership takes us next!