Yellow Ribbon allows Avila business student to continue education

Soni Sloan

Soni Sloan said she remembers the precise second she learned she was approved for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

"When I heard I was eligible, I cried for 30 minutes," Sloan said.

They were only tears of joy for Sloan, a native of India and U.S. citizen and Navy veteran, who was allowed to continue her goal of a master's in business administration at Avila University through the Yellow Ribbon program, a national initiative which helps supplement up to 100 percent of tuition costs for veterans and family members.

"Yellow Ribbon was just fantastic," Sloan said. "I think everyone should know about it and take advantage of it. Now, I will continue my education, get some assistance in scholarship money, and just try to take advantage of the opportunities I have."

Sloan began her educational experience at Avila with assistance from the GI Bill, after serving four years in the Navy. She left her native India for the U.S. when she was just 17 and quickly landed a job with Bank of America in California. Shortly after, 9/11 occurred, and the next day, she quit her job and enlisted in the Navy, where she spent the next four years flying with a squadron into war zones in Iraq, transporting injured soldiers and medical supplies from land to sea and back.

The assistance from the GI Bill covered Sloan's first three years of her undergraduate work, spent in Avila's Advantage program, the university's adult education program that allows flexible scheduling to fit busy, professional lifestyles. Sloan continues to work for Bank of America, as an administrative assistant.

"I was looking for a school that could accommodate me while working and was a Catholic school, since that's what I grew up with," Sloan said. "The Advantage program has been wonderful to me. I e-mail my adviser at least 15 times a week, and he's so gracious in answering all my questions. Everyone is very helpful, which helps me finish what I've been doing."

In fact, it was advice from a then-classmate, Larry Hayes, Avila's veteran's liaison, that helped Sloan figure out what to do once her GI Bill money was due to expire. Hayes told her about Yellow Ribbon and how it had helped other veterans pay for college. Sloan called the program the next day, and a few days later, she was having that good cry, knowing that the next year her tuition was covered. She can now finish up her bachelor's degree in business administration and get started on her MBA.

"This allows me to continue my classes and complete my education," she said. "I would really like to be in management one day. Bank of America has great management opportunities, and I hope my education will help advance me to my career." AU

Media Contact: Bob Luder, 816.501.2434