Veterans Day

On Veterans Day, GGU recognizes the students and employees who served in the United States Armed Forces and are now part of the university community. This page collects their stories, a message from President White, and information about the support GGU offers veterans year-round.

A Note from President White

To All Who Served,

Thank you. On Veterans Day and every day, GGU is grateful for your service. You and your families gave years of your lives, and often much more, to our country.

Golden Gate University has served veterans since 1918, when we opened programs for service members coming home from the First World War. That commitment continues today. GGU is ranked among the nation’s top 10 Military Friendly® Schools and top 3 Military Spouse Friendly® Schools, and U.S. Veterans Magazine named GGU a 2026 Top Veteran School. The Helen Diller Center for Veterans of US Military Service helps each veteran make the most of their benefits and reach graduation.

We are honored to serve those who served. Thank you again.

Brent White
President, Golden Gate University

Military-Connected Voices

Golden Gate University logo above the text “U.S. Military Spotlight,” the name “Deasia Johnson,” and the subtitle “Helping people heal.” Circular photo of a smiling woman with long dark wavy hair, wearing a black blazer and a gold pendant necklace, against a dark blue background.

Deasia wants to help people heal

A Navy Master-at-Arms spent a decade enforcing the rules. Now she’s learning what people need beyond them.

Golden Gate University logo above the text “U.S. Military Spotlight,” the name “Maurice Cheeks,” and the subtitle “Finishing what he started.” Circular photo of a smiling man in camouflage uniform and cap, with his arms crossed, standing outdoors at dusk with blurred lights and structures behind him.

Maurice finished what he started

An Army Reserve combat medic who kept putting school on hold decided it was time to finish.

Golden Gate University logo above the text “U.S. Military Spotlight,” the name “Drew Austin,” and the subtitle “On both sides of the desk.” Circular photo of a smiling man in a dark dress uniform and black beret, standing in front of a white wooden wall beside a window.

Drew is on both sides of the desk

A 20-year Army veteran coaches new military students while earning his own MBA.

Golden Gate University logo above the text “U.S. Military Spotlight,” the name “Yimmi Ridder,” and the subtitle “Service doesn’t end with the Air Force.” Circular photo of a smiling woman in Air Force camouflage uniform, making a V sign and standing in front of a white ambulance.

Yimmi’s service didn’t end with the Air Force

An eight-year Air Force veteran went looking for one thing first: people who knew what getting out was like.

We’ve Got Your Six

If you served, you already know that the hard part of going back to school is rarely the coursework. It’s the benefits paperwork and the question you are not sure who to ask. The Helen Diller Center for Veterans of U.S. Military Service exists so that you do not have to figure any of that out alone.

“They pretty much hold my hand throughout everything,” says Victoria, a Navy veteran and current GGU student. That is the standard, and it has been for a long time. GGU began offering programs to returning veterans in 1918, and military-connected students remain a core part of the GGU community today.

What we do:

  • Onboarding from day one. Within two days of your admission, a Diller Center onboarding coach reaches out by email and follows up with a phone call. Onboarding Coaches, who are veterans and military family members themselves, walk you through what to expect with registration and your first term.
  • Military Student Orientation. Each term opens with a livestream that covers what you need to know before your first class, including the people and resources that will support you.
  • Help navigating your benefits. GGU’s School Certifying Officials process your VA education benefits each term, and the Diller Center works alongside them to point you to the right office and resources.
  • Career coaching built for military students. One-on-one, veteran-focused coaching helps you translate your military experience into language civilian employers understand, from your first term through graduation and beyond.
  • A community online. The GGU Military Facebook group and The Dispatch, a monthly newsletter, keep you informed and connected, and military.ggu.edu puts resources in one place. Veteran Ambassadors are current students who can answer the questions you would rather ask a peer.

Contact:

The Helen Diller Center for Veterans of U.S. Military Service
dillercenter@ggu.edu
(415) 369-5204
military.ggu.edu

Once you’re admitted, you have access to every service on this page. Reach out any time a question comes up. You can also join the GGU Military Facebook group at facebook.com/groups/ggumilitary, or follow the center on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/showcase/helen-diller-center-ggu/. If you’re interested in learning more about GGU before you apply, contact the enrollment team at team@admissions.ggu.edu.

Learn about the Diller Center

Faces of Service

GGU is proud to count veterans among its students. This Veterans Day, we honor the service that brought them here and the work they continue in our classrooms.

Share Your Story

If you are a veteran or military-connected member of the GGU community, we would like to hear from you. Share a little about your service and your work at GGU, and the External Affairs team will follow up about a profile.

Share Your Story

GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government Web site at benefits.va.gov/gibill.

Back to top

The world's first AI-focused, global, multilingual university: built for working adults, anchored in San Francisco at the heart of the AI economy.

Give to GGU
© 2026 Golden Gate University. All rights reserved.