Heather Vincil spends her days helping military veterans find their footing in college — and this month, that quiet work earned her one of Toledo’s top honors for young leaders. Vincil, assistant director of the TRIO Veterans Upward Bound program at Owens Community College, has been named a Toledo 20 Under 40 Leadership Recognition Award recipient, Owens Community College announced in a news release on Friday, Nov. 13.
Vincil joins 19 other award winners recognized for making an impact in northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan, according to the Owens release. She admitted she was “very surprised, humbled and honored” to receive the recognition, the release said.
“Being named a 20 Under 40 leader in Toledo isn’t just a personal achievement — it underscores the importance of showing up for our local veteran population,” Vincil said in the Owens Community College release. “The dedication and leadership that earned me this recognition are completely fueled by the determination of the men and women who have served our country. This award belongs to them and to our team’s collective mission to ensure no veteran is left behind when they hang up the uniform.”
Vincil speaks from experience. She is a U.S. Army veteran who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2009–10, and her honors include Distinguished Honor Graduate of the Warrior Leader Course and the Dave Sims Veteran of the Year award, according to the Owens release.
“This award is a direct reflection of the resilience, sacrifice and drive of the military veterans we serve every day through TRIO Veterans Upward Bound,” Vincil said in the release. “Transitioning from military life back into academia can be a massive culture shock, and our mission is to provide the critical educational support, professional development and mentorship veterans need to succeed in higher education.”
TRIO Veterans Upward Bound, funded through the U.S. Department of Education, supports veterans who are committed to their education and motivated to achieve their college, career and professional goals, according to Owens. The program helps eligible veterans and active-duty service members enter post-secondary education, and gives veterans without a high school diploma an opportunity to prepare for the GED test.
Brandon Gaddy, director of TRIO Programs at Owens, said Vincil is an invaluable asset who has been essential to the support and services veterans receive. “Since the day she joined us, her leadership has strengthened the program and the veterans it serves,” Gaddy said in the Owens release. “Heather simply wants to be a resource and advocate for veterans at every stage of life.”
Vincil said the first year out of the military can be the hardest stretch of a veteran’s life — the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs notes the suicide rate among veterans is higher in that first year than among veterans overall, according to the release. “Doing this work is vital to me because I believe we owe our service members more than just a ‘thank you for your service;’ we owe them tangible, actionable support,” she said in the release. Veterans in crisis can dial 988 and press 1 to reach the Veterans Crisis Line.
The honor arrives in a strong season for veterans’ programs across northwest Ohio: the University of Toledo was recently ranked No. 1 in Ohio for veterans in a Military Times survey, and Toledo and Bowling Green student veterans are rucking a game ball 24 miles this Saturday in a rivalry-week tradition.
There is one more chapter to Vincil’s month: she was supposed to be honored at the awards banquet on Nov. 10, but ended up in a local hospital’s labor and delivery department instead, as she put it in the Owens release, when her “upcoming little one decided it was the perfect time for a trial run.” Everything is well, she said, and the family is still eagerly awaiting the baby’s arrival. “It definitely gave a whole new meaning to ‘strategic planning’ on my big night,” Vincil said in the release.
What happens next: Vincil returns to the work the award celebrates — advising and advocating for veterans at Owens through TRIO Veterans Upward Bound. Veterans interested in the program can learn more at owens.edu/trio, according to the college. Precious Tate, an Owens Earn & Learn Success Coach, was also a nominee for the honor, the release said.
Photo: Tim Kiser, CC BY-SA