MC’s Dave Daniels recognized as a Veteran Champion of the Year in Higher Education
Oct. 20, 2022
In the beginning, Dave Daniels ’20 joined the U.S. Navy as a way out. Time and training, however, made it a way of life.
Daniels, the director of military outreach and transfer recruiting for the Maryville College Department of Admissions, was recently named a 2022 Veteran Champion of the Year in Higher Education. As one of 22 honorees profiled in the most recent edition of G.I. Jobs magazine — which also acknowledged Maryville College as a Military Friendly School — Daniels was recognized as part of a group of individuals “who excel as advocates for student veterans in higher education.”
Daniels was part of a cohort of veteran advocates selected from institutions across the country, from Arizona State University to William and Mary, and was the only staff member from a private Tennessee College to be recognized.
“When asked what fulfills me as a person, my response is simple: service,” the magazine quotes him as saying. “I have the privilege of being employed in a capacity and in a space that allows me to do just that. I serve a population of 61 veteran and military-affiliated students, and I take great pride in knowing that the efforts and measures I use to support them are supported by the institution I’ve loved as a student and now an employee.”
In the beginning, however, he was just a Philly kid looking to get away from hard streets and a lack of opportunity, he said.
“It was straight up a way out, and I’ve had people ask, ‘When did it become patriotic?’” Daniels said. “I remember being in boot camp, and when you get there, you’re forced to wear a ball cap that says ‘Recruit,’ and every time a senior division comes by, they have the right of way. It was understood that you were having to earn your place.
“Then, at the end of boot camp, you go through what they call Battle Stations, an exercise that tests you on every level and is meant to tie all of that training together. And after Battle Stations, they take you to this ceremony hall, and you take off your ‘Recruit’ ball cap, and they give you a Navy ball cap. That’s when you become a sailor, and that’s when I became patriotic.”
For 15 years, Daniels served in a number of capacities, including aboard the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz and as project manager for Naval Network Warfare Command (NETWARCOM), the Navy’s information operations, intelligence, networks and space unit. As security operations leading petty officer for the USS Theodore Roosevelt, Daniels led a team of 122 law enforcement personnel, including physical security practices, anti-terrorism force protection and daily operations. As a recruiter for Navy Recruiting District Philadelphia, he led a team of 17 Navy recruiters who procured more than 400 highly qualified officers and enlisted personnel in the regular and reserve components of the U.S. Navy.
At Maryville College, Daniels is responsible for the direct recruiting of transfer students and veterans and military dependents; coordinating veteran support activities and resources; acting as the primary contact for veteran services and issues related to military-affiliated students; providing staff advisor support to the Student Veteran Association; developing and implementing campus-wide education for faculty and staff on student veteran-related topics and Green Zone training; and collaborating with the registrar, Business Office and Financial Aid for the facilitation of VA benefits.
“The most important quality I think I provide is relatability, because that’s the foundation of all things,” Daniels said. “I remember when I was recruited, one of the first lessons I learned from the recruiter in charge was that nobody will join the Navy for you if they can’t relate to you. I think that’s what I bring to Maryville College: I’m relatable. I know how to navigate the paperwork, including all of the different programs to pay for education. I know what it’s like to miss class because of appointments.
“Those things matter, and because I dealt with it here as a student, and because I can speak to it, I can step up when they need someone to advocate for them. Receiving this honor means more to me than anything else, because this is a value statement about who I am as a person and as a veteran. This one is special.”
“Dave has been part of our team for less than two years, but he’s already changed the culture for our veteran students,” added Alayne Bowman, vice president for Admissions and Financial Aid. “Dave is an advocate for those individuals, and his experience, strength and wisdom have led to greater enrollment numbers by members of that population. At the same time, he has the ability to communicate with, work alongside and connect with students regardless of background. He’s an ambassador of Maryville College for our veteran population and for the school itself, and this recognition is well deserved.”