Derek Blumke has always stood out from his peers.

Last week, when it seemed like all of Ann Arbor was either studying for midterms or celebrating St. Patrick’s Day, Blumke was in Washington, D.C. As the president of Student Veterans of America — a national organization dedicated to assisting veterans on college campuses — Blumke was participating in roundtable discussions regarding the implications of repealing the military’s Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy at the Pentagon, and veterans’ benefits on Capitol Hill.

Similarly, in the fall of 1999, when most of his peers were enrolling in college, Blumke joined the Air Force where he served for six years, including three tours of duty in Afghanistan.

In 2007, at age 26, when people his age were starting their professional lives, Blumke enrolled as an undergraduate at the University after spending two years at community college.

When he first came to campus, Blumke said he felt isolated from his fellow classmates — most of whom were much younger than he was — and struggled with depression. Blumke said he would be in class and hear the people sitting next to him talking about their weekend plans or the latest gossip, and all he would be able to think about was being back in Afghanistan with his friends.

“I’m sitting there thinking about (how) I’m wasting my time and wasting my life sitting in this classroom when there’s something far more important for me to be doing,” Blumke said.

Because he had trouble integrating into campus life, Blumke thought other veterans could possibly be having the same problems. So, in the spring of 2007, he started the Student Veterans of Michigan and was fundamental in founding the Student Veterans of America in January 2008, of which he is the first president.

As president, Blumke works on the national level to advocate for veterans' issues.

In the first six months of his presidency, Blumke said he went to Washington seven times in support of the passage of the Post- 9/11 GI Bill.

The bill, which became law in 2008 and went into effect last August, pays for veterans’ tuition at public colleges and universities and gives them a stipend for books and housing. Blumke said the new GI Bill is helping veterans continue their education.

“(Before), if you wanted to go to school and you had a wife and kid, or a husband and family, it wasn’t really an option,” Blumke said. “You had to work and support your family. Now, with this new GI Bill, you can go to school and you can have a family and you can move on with your education.”

On a local level, with over 200 chapters nationwide, Blumke said the SVA is dedicated to easing the transition to college life for returning veterans so they won’t have to struggle like he, and countless other veterans, did.

Blumke added that in the two years since SVA was formed, veteran services on college campuses have improved drastically. He said it’s critical that veterans help one another adjust because they have shared experiences that a majority of the population can’t relate to.

“Today, a lot of the college campuses are better suited for returning vets, and I also think that veterans on campuses across the country are doing a better job of helping each other,” Blumke said. “I think that's probably the most important piece of that puzzle because we’re doing a better job taking care of each other.”

Though he is graduating in August, Blumke said the SVA will continue to advocate and assist student veterans so they will be able to stand out for their achievements, not their differences.