A very special honor for a Texas A&M-Texarkana Assistant Professor.

Dr. Corrine Hinton, assistant professor of English and SALUTE veterans honor society program director at Texas A&M University-Texarkana, has been named to the 2017 class of Dole Caregiver Fellows by the Elizabeth Dole Foundation.

Thirty-one military and veteran caregivers were selected from across the country to represent the Elizabeth Dole Foundation as members of the 2017 class.

Leaders in their communities, these men and women will share their personal stories to bring vital attention to the tremendous challenges caregivers face and advocate for America’s military and veteran caregivers through the Foundation’s newly launched Hidden Heroes initiative. They will use their voices and perspective to advise the Foundation, its coalition partners and government leaders on the foremost issues concerning military caregivers.

Additionally, the Dole Caregiver Fellows will empower other caregivers at HiddenHeroes.org, a premier online destination where military caregivers can access vetted resources, seek support and connect to a larger community.

“We are excited to welcome the new class of Fellows,” said Senator Elizabeth Dole. “The Dole Caregiver Fellows are an essential part of the Foundation’s work. They are ambassadors, advocates, advisors, and spokespersons not only for the Foundation but for military and veteran caregivers across the nation. In addition to providing vital help to those who serve our country, the Fellows support the work of the Foundation and our partners by lending their firsthand knowledge, skills, expertise, and personal experiences to our shared mission.”

Senator Dole created the Foundation’s cornerstone Dole Caregiver Fellows program to directly engage military and veteran caregivers. The new Fellows’ class represents 25 states and the District of Columbia, adding to a remarkable group of 110 military caregivers who have already served as Fellows and who represent all 50 states and Puerto Rico.

This year’s class of Dole Caregiver Fellows includes a mother who retired to care for her son, a spouse who fought for her husband to become the first blind active duty service member, and a husband and wife duo who defeated cancer together. From homemakers, professors and former high school teachers to police officers, writers, business owners, and nurses, the Fellows’ stories are diverse, but together they capture the strength and resiliency inherent to the 5.5 million military and veteran caregivers across America.

“As the daughter of retired Air Force veterans, I was accustomed to military life when I married my husband, Tyron, a Marine Corps infantryman, in 2006. We endured three combat deployments in our first five years (two to Iraq, one to Afghanistan). On patrol in Afghanistan, Tyron was in the blast radius of a rocket-propelled grenade while attempting to reach an injured Marine. The blast caused a traumatic brain injury, PTSD and physical injuries to his lower back – injuries left largely untreated until after his retirement. After nearly 20 years in the infantry, Tyron suffers from migraines, cognitive impairments, memory loss, chronic pain as well as PTSD,” said Dr. Hinton in her HiddenHeroes.org profile.

“In addition to being his caregiver, I also care for our three-year-old son and my 18-year-old stepson while working fulltime as university faculty. I'm a designated veterans support advocate on my campus. I publish research on veterans’ reintegration experiences and advocate for post-9/11 combat veterans and their families. As a Dole Caregiver Fellow, I want to improve awareness about the unique experiences of caregivers in smaller communities like mine.”

To read more about Dr. Hinton, visit the website.  For more information about the Dole Caregiver Fellows, visit here.

 

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