Chez Veterans Center
The Illini Club of San Diego county sponsors a scholarship program that benifits students via the Chez Veterans Center. The Center was constructed with state-of-the-art technology to accommodate a variety of disabilities. It features:
- a large lounge for student veterans to study and interact
- a kitchen was constructed to meet or exceed ADA compliance for physical disabilities
- a counseling wing was designed to offer a quiet and private atmosphere for veterans and their families
- a second floor is the gym, which offers a variety of equipment for all types of disabilities
- an Academic and Career Center for Academic Lab and Career Workshops
- fourteen residential units with suites and bathrooms providing state-of-the-art accessibility features, including a remote-controlled SureHands ceiling lift system
Fernando Silva
Fernando grew up in Cicero, Illinois and is our 2023 scholarship award recipient. He is a third-year law student at the University of Illinois College of Law . Upon his enlistment in the U.S. Navy, Fernando was stationed on the forward-deployed USS Tortuga in Sasebo, Japan. Fernando grew a strong attraction to public service during a humanitarian mission in response to typhoon Haiyan in November 2013.
Fernando later served on the USS Stockdale in Naval Base San Diego. As a Gas Turbine Technician, he monitored the ship’s propulsion plant through two deployments patrolling the Korean Peninsula. Fernando was honorably discharged in February 2017 and started college to pursue a career in law.
Since starting law school, Fernando has volunteered in several pro bono programs including an immigration screening clinic, legal aid work for low-income families, and individuals impacted by domestic violence. Recently, Fernando finished a semester working in his law school’s Family Advocacy Law Clinic, where Fernando represented children and families involved in child neglect and abuse cases. Fernando hopes he can continue providing pro bono services once he becomes a licensed attorney.
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