Kansas Wesleyan will host what has become an annual Veterans Recognition Ceremony as part of the school’s homecoming events.

According to the school, Kevin Newell will be the guest speaker at the event this Friday morning at 11 a.m. on the Bevan Green.

Born and raised in Salina, Newell attended Kansas Wesleyan from 1994-98, graduating with his bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice. Upon graduating, he spent time with the Salina Police Department and Saline County Jail, as well as in the construction business with his father. He was then hired as a full-time detachment readiness NCO with the Kansas Army National Guard.

Newell deployed in 2004 to Baghdad in Operation Iraqi Freedom II, then to the Sinai Peninsula in 2009 as a multinational force observer. He retired from service in January 2024, following 22 active-duty years with the National Guard and over 31 total years of military service.

Today, Newell works as the part-time military division director for Build a Pro, a local nonprofit that serves as an apprenticeship intermediary to address labor shortages. He is also a husband and a father to three children.

Pre-registered veterans and active-duty military will receive a complimentary lunch following the ceremony.

For more information or to register, please call 785-833-4392 or email Cathy Doubrava at [email protected].

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The full Homecoming schedule can be found at www.kwu.edu/homecoming2025.

Photo via KWU