Clemson senior chosen to attend Student Veterans of America Leadership Institute

CLEMSON — Ashley Johnson, a senior at Clemson University, has been chosen to attend the 2018 Student Veterans of America (SVA) Leadership Institute in Washington, D.C., this weekend. Johnson, who assumed presidential duties for Clemson’s Student Veterans Association in June, is one of only 104 elected chapter officers nationwide selected for this prestigious honor.

SVA’s Leadership Institute is sponsored by Prudential and is the premier foundational leadership experience in the country for student veterans. It brings high-achieving chapter leaders together for a three-day immersion, values-based program. This year’s Leadership Institute cohort touts a 3.42 average GPA. The event will be held at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

“I’m so excited and honored to be able to represent Clemson University student veterans,” Johnson said. “This conference will be a great networking event for our veterans and I’m eager to absorb everything I can and bring back new skills to put into practice at Clemson.”

Johnson is pursuing bachelor’s degrees in psychology and criminal justice. She enrolled at Clemson in the 2017 fall semester after transferring from Tri-County Technical College. Johnson is an Upstate New York native and U.S. Navy veteran who spent more than three years in the service prior to a medical discharge in July 2015.

“I’m proud of Ashley for stepping out of her comfort zone and leading an organization that is a predominantly masculine culture, to take a leap of faith and apply for this competitive leadership opportunity,” said Brennan Beck, who oversees military and veteran engagement for Student Affairs. “We know she will represent Clemson well and bring knowledge and gains back to better the rest of our student veterans.”