A Samford University student team partnered with Student Veterans of America (SVA) to launch a monthlong awareness campaign called Iron Heroes. The campaign aims to bring awareness of student veterans and the benefits provided to them through the post-9/11 GI Bill.

The campaign is part of the annual Bateman Case Study Competition sponsored by the Public Relations Student Society of America.

The Samford campaign kicked off with a yellow ribbon event at Samford where students and employees picked up yellow ribbons to raise awareness of student veterans on campus. Information about the GI Bill, student veterans, Iron Heroes social media and upcoming events were also available.

The team is helping with the Rally the Family and Iron Horses Challenge Field Day 2–4 p.m. March 5 at Veterans Park in Hoover, Alabama.

Iron Heroes and Teams for Troops also will host a March Madness party on NCAA tournament selection Sunday, March 13, 12–4 p.m., at PT’s in downtown Homewood, Alabama.

Earlier, the team partnered with Iron Heroes to provide free photographs and résumé reviews for student veterans and students in Samford’s ROTC detachment during the university’s annual Networking Expo. They also held awareness events during a Samford baseball game.

Team members include Emily Duval from Nashville, Tennessee; Allie Haywood from Vestavia Hills, Alabama; Lauren Hutchens and Kathleen Sharp from Boca Raton, Florida; and Paige Shelby from Franklin, Tennessee. All are senior journalism and mass communication majors.

Samford’s 2015 Bateman team was one of 16 to receive national recognition in the annual competition.