On Nov. 11, Monmouth University put on their Veterans Day Celebration in the Great Hall to honor students, faculty, and guests in reflection and tribute in gratitude of their service and sacrifice in the U.S. military.

The ceremony featured a keynote speaker, U.S. Marine Corps veteran and Monmouth graduate student Anna Andreula. Now in her second year of the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program, who is remembered for accepting her undergraduate degree with her week-old newborn.

Following the opening demonstration, University President Patrick F. Leahy took the podium and welcomed the attendees. He offered remarks that emphasized the importance between military service and the values that shape universities. Leahy underlined that Veterans Day represents more than reflection; it is a reminder that higher education exists due to their sacrifice to protect the freedoms that represent the United States.

“Among those freedoms are the right to think independently, to speak openly, and to learn without fear—values that form the foundation of higher education,” Leahy said. “In defending the Constitution, veterans have safeguarded not only our borders but also the intellectual freedom that gives meaning to university life.”

Leahy continued by acknowledging the various groups of veterans who call Monmouth home—students earning degrees, faculty teaching courses, staff members serving the campus daily, and alumni who remain active in the community. He would go on to underscore the reputation Monmouth has represented in their veteran friendly campus and has been so for many years since becoming president.

“At Monmouth University, we are privileged to count veterans and military-connected students, faculty, staff, and alumni among our community,” he said. “Their example reminds us that leadership emerges through service, and that service can take many forms. For some veterans, service extends beyond the uniform through teaching, mentoring, or volunteering to strengthen the institutions that sustain our shared freedoms.”

After the acknowledgements made from President Leahy, the focus turned to speaker, Anna Andreula, a United States Marine veteran who served from 2017-2021, a mother, wife, business owner, and now a graduate student pursuing her master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling.

“Through joining the Marine Corps in 2017, I thought I was going to learn how to serve my country—maybe learn how to do push-ups and pull-ups the right way or perfect the military hair bun,” she said with a smile. “Although all those desires turned into acquired skills, I didn’t realize that I was also going to learn how to serve humans.”

Andreula described how the Marines shaped her understanding of teamwork, leadership, and vulnerability.

“The Marine Corps didn’t just teach me that success is measured by individual effort alone, but by the collective strength of the team beside you,” she said. “And I learned how to be comfortable with vulnerability.”

She reflected on the high-stress training environments that she encountered that reshaped the person she is today. “From long nights in training to high-stress situations where communication can mean the difference between success and failure—sometimes life or death—the Marine Corps gave me an unshakeable foundation based in discipline, teamwork, adaptability,” she said. “I learned to perform under pressure, to lead by example, and to listen to the people around me.”

Her role in the Marines provided hands-on leadership in critical logistical operations that demanded excellence in times of urgency and precision. “My military occupational specialty was 3531, a motor transport operator,” she said. “In that role I was responsible for transporting military personnel, weapons, equipment, and critical supplies across various terrains and mission zones. From 2018 to 2021, my duties included not just driving tactical vehicles, but planning routes, coordinating convoys, managing logistics, ensuring vehicle safety, and leading Marines in high-stress situations—all while doing this as a female.”

She emphasized that these responsibilities that were instilled in her by the Marines helped her develop skills that became instrumental not only today but will guide her future. “I learned how to strategize under pressure, communicate clearly under stress, and lead effectively when others were counting on me,” she said. “Those experiences strengthened not just my leadership but my ability to handle responsibility and care for others.”

Andreula would go on to speak on transitioning from active duty to civilian life—a period she described as both challenging and transformative, is a persistent struggle for many veterans.

“The transition from active duty to civilian life is not always easy. For many veterans, including myself, it’s like learning how to ride a bike for the first time,” she said. “After years of operating in a structured, mission-driven environment, entering the world of higher education at Monmouth University at 31 years old was like stepping into a new kind of mission—one that requires self-discovery, adaptability, and courage in a different form.”

Beginning her academic career just after leaving active duty, she carried both strength and ambiguity. “When I began my journey at Monmouth University in 2021, shortly after my active-duty service tour, I carried with me the strength of my military experience but also the uncertainty of starting over,” she said.

She described how Monmouth welcomed, supported, and encouraged her during the transition, giving her a sense of belonging again. “At first, I wasn’t sure how my military experiences were going to fit here at Monmouth,” she said. “But professors, advisors, and peers not only welcomed me—they encouraged me. What I found at Monmouth was a community that valued my perspective as a veteran.”

After describing how Monmouth supported her academic transition, Andreula spoke on her current path in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program, explaining how her military experience now informs her mission to help others.

As a former Marine, Andreula said she is driven by a commitment to serve again, this time in a different capacity. In mental health, she explained, her goal is “to help people reach emotional and psychological safety, to help guide them through their journey from struggle to strength to resilience.” She stressed that the mission underlying her military service and her counseling work is ultimately the same: to serve others.

Andreula also spoke passionately about veterans’ mental health, calling it a deeply personal cause. She noted that many veterans experience the world differently after service and face challenges that are not always visible to others. Supporting those who struggle—particularly those grappling with trauma, transition, or uncertainty—has become a core part of her purpose.

“Veterans’ mental health is a cause deeply close to my heart,” she said. “We as veterans experience the world differently… and I want to remind veterans that seeking help is not weakness at all, but strength.”
Her speech connected her past and present: a Marine who once led convoys and teams under pressure is now preparing to lead others through moments of emotional uncertainty, recovery, and growth. For Andreula, counseling is another form of service—established in listening, empathy, and resilience.

“My time at Monmouth thus far has allowed me to rebuild my identity,” she said. “From the evolution of a Marine focused on logistics and leadership into a clinical counselor focused on human connection and healing.”