Graduate student appointed to state military education council

Erin Lunday, a veteran and doctoral student in the Organizational Studies Program, was appointed to the State Council on Educational Opportunity for Military Children.

As a child, Erin Lunday moved from Germany to Florida. Her own children have moved from Virginia to New York to Ohio. Moving caused some difficulty in school. A school in New York might not accept records from Ohio or test scores from Virginia.

But Lunday is looking forward to helping children and their families experience a better transition.

Lunday is a doctoral student in Wright State University’s Organizational Studies Program leader track. She has served in the Army for over a decade and has worked in a variety of government jobs and was vice president of training for an international nonprofit organization that serves more than 2 million military families.

As a military child, Lunday had experience with difficulty in changing schools. Not only would there be a new environment with new people and new classes, but each time she moved, her records had to transfer correctly. If the records didn’t transfer, she might spend the year in a class that was far too easy or far too difficult.

The Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission (MIC3) aims to change that. The commission works with schools nationally and internationally to ensure that military children’s records are transferred effectively and efficiently.

Lunday was appointed to the State Council on Educational Opportunity for Military Children, which hears cases related to MIC3. Each quarter, the council meets to discuss current issues and how they can be solved.

Since Lunday is not only a military child but also a military veteran and is married to a member of the military, she felt she is a good fit for the board.

“I think that since I’ve had that background of experience as a military child, but I’m also a mother of a military child, I’ve also served myself and worked in several positions as an advocate for military children, that’s really what brought me to this place,” she said.

At her first meeting, she received a certificate of appointment to the board and began discussing cases with the other board members. Many of the members are associated with nonprofit organizations as well as superintendents of school districts.

“We are fortunate to have Erin in our Organizational Studies doctoral program. She is an asset to our department, college and university. Due to her experiences, she will do a stellar job on the State Council on Educational Opportunity for Military Children,” said Carol Patitu, professor and chair of the Department of Leadership Studies in Education and Organizations.

“I feel certain that the MIC3 members will appreciate Erin’s ability to understand issues from the military child’s perspective. Her commitment to her own children’s education demonstrates that she is able to work collaboratively with schools to develop innovative solutions for the challenges that military students experience,” said Suzanne Franco, director of the Organizational Studies Program.