Mercer Times

The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) honored veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces within its campus community through a Veterans Day appreciation event held in the newly established Military and Veterans Lounge. The lounge is located next to the ROTC office on the third floor of Forcina Hall.

The space aims to provide a supportive environment for military and veteran students at TCNJ, offering them a place to study, relax, and connect with others. Avani Rana, director of co-curricular and leadership development at TCNJ, expressed the college's intent behind this initiative: “We wanted to create a space that would be beneficial, useful, and build community for our military and veteran students.”

The lounge will also function as a meeting area for the Military Science and Veterans Association (MSVA), a student organization dedicated to providing opportunities for volunteerism through philanthropy, sharing military-related experiences, and learning about military science. Leah Lavender ’25, an Army ROTC cadet studying criminology and psychology, shared her enthusiasm about using the new facility: “We are looking forward to utilizing the lounge space to host coffee talks and bring in speakers with military backgrounds to present on a multitude of topics.”

Recently recognized by U.S. News & World Report’s 2025 Best Colleges rankings as the best college in its region for veterans, TCNJ continues to support its active duty and veteran students through various services including transition assistance into college life.

Major General Maria Falca-Dodson ’75 has been honored with her name given to this new lounge. A former member of TCNJ’s Board of Trustees, she advocated for creating such spaces on campus during her tenure.

Further information about veterans benefits at TCNJ can be found by visiting veterans.tcnj.edu. Inquiries regarding ROTC or other military programming can be directed to Avani Rana at ranaa@tcnj.edu.