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Student, soldier fights for her education
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After growing up outside Chicago, living in Las Vegas and spending six months in Iraq, Navy Reservist and Boise State student Elizabeth Lahny said she likes Boise because it has a sense of security.
Lanhy was laid off twice from her job as a Harley Davidson technician, and subsequently joined the Navy in January 2003. Inspired by a friend and a long history of family in the military, she felt it was the right thing to do.
She was deployed to Iraq in July 2006 with her construction battalion, and spent six months in Fallujah, working 80 hours a week.
Feeling fortunate that she never had to leave the military base, Lahny said she was still at war.
“A couple weeks ago somebody asked me if I’d ever gone anywhere, and I said ‘Yeah, Iraq, you know, Fallujah.’ And they were like ‘Oh you’re not in combat right?’ … Well, yeah, I am, we are in combat. I mean people shoot bombs into our base,” Lahny said.
Although Lahny is still active in the Navy, she is on leave and attending classes at BSU in hopes of getting her degree in biology, with emphasis in environmental protection.
An unexpected door opened for Lahny while applying for a scholarship through Funds for Veterans. In April, she was invited to a rally on Capitol Hill for the new GI Bill and was among eight veterans asked to speak about their struggles to pay for college educations.
Seizing the opportunity to champion veterans’ rights and benefits, Lahny spoke about the popular misconception that the current GI Bill is a free ride to college.
She only receives $440 a month toward college despite the six months she spent in Iraq.
“I carried an M-16 for six months,” Lahny said at the Capitol Hill rally. “Now I’m probably going to carry student loan debt for the rest of my life.”
When asked about how speaking out about the GI Bill has affected her, she said, “It has really opened my eyes to the compassion of other people.”
One example of such compassion occurred after American Legion magazine published an article about the D.C. press conference and profiled Lahny. Struck by her difficulties, a World War II veteran wrote a letter to BSU (which was then forwarded to her) about how outraged he was regarding her school situation.
The support of the people that she met while campaigning for the new GI Bill is what affected her the most.
“When I was in Iraq, I never thought anyone at home really cared,” Lahny said. “Because, if you think about it, it’s just not a huge daily event in our lives, thinking about the war. But there are so many people over there.”
Lahny will speak at the Veteran’s Memorial Dedication on the Boise State campus Tuesday, Nov. 11. The dedication will start at noon on the northeast patio of the Student Union Building. All are welcome to attend.
JACQUELINE WAYMENT
Online Editor
