Thank You for your Service: Combining Passions to Make an Impact
- May 4th, 2022
- in Student Stories
Jahnaya Cosby, a sophomore majoring in marketing, found a way to combine her passions and campus involvement to serve others during her time at the Capstone.
Honoring Veterans Through Campus Involvement
Jahnaya recognized a need for initiatives that focused on giving back to veterans, so she decided to coordinate several efforts for veterans through her involvement in Student Government Association (SGA) and the Office of Veteran and Military Affairs (VMA) as a military-affiliated student in the ROTC. In March she coordinated and organized Operation Grateful, where 60 care packages were created and delivered to veterans at the Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center in conjunction with SGA and the VMA office.
The University of Alabama has a strong tradition of honoring the men and women who have served in our armed forces (and their families). In fact, UA has received distinction as a top ten Military Friendly® School for 2022-2023. One of the ways UA supports military members and families is through the Division of Student Life’s Office of Veteran and Military Affairs (VMA).
At the Capstone, Student Life provides mentorship opportunities for freshmen and upperclassmen across departments. However, few student positions on campus have as much regular interaction with peers and potential for positive influence on their lives as
In August of 1999, Barbra K. Green moved from Maryland to Tuscaloosa and found her new home at 901 Paul W. Bryant Drive – Julia Tutwiler Hall. It wouldn’t be until August of 2012 that she truly moved out of Tut, having spent over a decade in the residence hall.
In the spring of 2019, generous University of Alabama donors Mike and Cathy Buhai endowed a fund to be used by the homecoming queen to give to an on-campus charitable organization. The previous fall, their daughter Katie had been selected as UA’s homecoming queen. Katie was also the vice president for community service for Kappa Delta, and the Buhais wanted to allow future homecoming queens the opportunity to support a philanthropy project of their choice. This year, McLean Moore was the first homecoming queen who had the opportunity to use the fund, and she selected 
“Tutwiler meant roommates and friends, decorating our door and making our room homey. As I flew from France to Atlanta, then
took the Greyhound bus to Birmingham, I arrived for my freshman year by cab with two large suitcases, representing all I owned at the time. The driver asked about my story during our trip together. Not only did he help me bring my suitcases up, but he stayed to help me move in. While other residents had family and friends as a support, I was running around the building with a cab driver. What a great man ensuring I had a wonderful school start.”
The University of Alabama has been ranked among the top ten Military Friendly® Schools for 2022-2023. Institutions earning the Military Friendly® School designation are evaluated using public data as well as surveys from participating institutions and input from student veterans. Over 1,800 institutions participate in this process, so earning a top ten spot is quite an accomplishment.
The current Tutwiler was built in the year 1968 and has been serving women at UA for 54 years. To make way for a larger and more contemporary residence hall, it is scheduled for demolition on July 4, 2022. As a campus community, we commemorate the legacy of the historic building while awaiting the new and improved Tutwiler. To celebrate both events, we will be periodically featuring stories from past and current residents of Tutwiler Hall. Today’s memory is from Birmingham, AL native Karen Winston-Fox, who lived at Tutwiler from 1974-1976.