As a peer adviser, administrative assistant and legislative intern at the Veterans Resource Center (VRC) on campus, James-Anthony Burandt advocates for fellow veterans. The center’s programs were pivotal in his decision to attend CSUF, one of 49 institutions in the nation with a Peer Advisors for Veteran Education (PAVE) program. Burandt’s involvement in the Cal State DC Scholars program earned him one of only five prestigious 2022 Veterans of Foreign Wars and Student Veterans of America Legislative Fellowships. He now lobbies for student veterans and military-connected students in Washington, D.C. “I want members of Congress to know being a veteran is an identity and culture, not only a past occupation,” Burandt says. “I believe all veterans can be future leaders in their own way.” He plans to pursue a master’s in public administration after earning his bachelor’s degree.