Cody Herrin, an Army veteran who served in the military for five years, was appointed Wednesday as a Senator At-Large during Wichita State’s Student Government Association’s weekly meeting.

Herrin is a junior majoring in chemistry, pre-med. He served in the 1st Ranger Battalion, an Airborne infantry unit, from 1999 to 2004. He was deployed four times, where he served in Afghanistan and Iraq.

From 2004 to 2012, he held various contracting jobs within the Army. He then decided to return to school.

“It’s always been a personal goal of mine to obtain a college degree,” he said.

Student Body President Joseph Shepard said having a veteran serve on Senate allows more diversity and inclusion.

“We’re excited about what he’s going to bring and the representation he is going to provide his constituents,” Shepard said.

Herrin said he has been active in addressing concerns for returning adults behind-the-scenes.

“I started hearing more and more about the unique needs of returning adults and veterans, and I feel SGA is the best avenue to address those concerns,” he said.

He said he looks forward to being a part of quality changes during his time in SGA.

“Hopefully,” he said, “[we can work on] improving students’ college experiences.”