“I always wanted to work in the Secret Service presidential detail,” says Ronald “Jake” Clark (MBA ’19). “I felt as though I was made to do that, but in fact, I’ve been put on earth to help people in service when the wheels come off.”

每天都有20名退伍军人结束自己的生命。 Over the last 45 years, 263,000 former soldiers have died of suicide. Since 2012 Clark has committed his time to developing and leading Save A Warrior (SAW)—an immersive intervention to support active-duty military, veterans, and first responders struggling with mental health concerns. As the organization’s president and founder, Clark has built a program that allows combat- and trauma-hardened individuals to overcome the mental barriers blocking their cognitive and emotional well-being. By blending together psychology, trauma therapy, and elements of Joseph Campbell’s hero’s journey, Clark has created a method to mitigate the staggering veteran suicide rate in the United States.

This Veterans Day, November 11, 2024, at 12:30 PM, Clark will serve as the distinguished guest and keynote speaker at Pepperdine’s annual 退伍军人节午宴 at the Brock House on the Malibu campus. Hosted by the 总统办公室 and 佩珀代因退伍军人事务部, the University community is invited to celebrate veterans in the Pepperdine community and beyond as well as honor Clark’s efforts to support veterans during the most challenging times in their lives.

A former uniformed Secret Service division officer, police officer, criminal investigator, FBI special-agent, and captain in the United States Army Reserve, Clark formulated his idea to help veterans while a student at 佩珀代因大学’s Graziadio Business School. 在那里，在课堂上，他意识到自己的职业召唤。

克拉克说：“钟马克教授为我生命中的一个‘顿悟’时刻奠定了基础。” “他给了我所需的语言来描述我的目标。 I knew there was a problem with veteran suicides, and professor Chung gave me access to a world to explain my intent from a philosophical and business perspective.”

Struck by this sudden revelation, Clark launched SAW during a brief leave from Pepperdine’s MBA program and began to home in on the psychological issues affecting veterans. While fine-tuning the program’s curriculum, Clark found that the average Adverse Childhood Experience Score (ACES) of SAW participants was seven—the same score as most convicted felons. This understanding guided him as he and his program’s co-creators began to walk alongside recovering individuals.

“People with high ACES scores do not willingly walk into support groups or seek out help,” says Clark. “They would rather be in a full-fledged firefight than go into a space where their trauma is going to be revealed. SAW打破了这些障碍。 我们帮助人们意识到，他们所寻找的一切已经存在于他们的内心。”

Today SAW offers veterans and first responders relief in the form of a three-day retreat program. During this 72-hour experience, Clark and his team of fellow former warriors help those grappling with the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder identify, process, and move beyond the original source of trauma. Participants leave the retreat with long-term practices to reinforce their experience and newfound perspectives.

“Jake和他在Save A Warrior的团队正在产生巨大的影响； serving and helping individuals in their journey toward healing, self-discovery, and transformation.,” says Eric Leshinsky, director of student veteran affairs at 佩珀代因大学 and a retired United States Air Force colonel. “What a great example of George Pepperdine’s vision that education should include the right outlook on life, a realization of our responsibility to society, to our country, and to God. We’re so excited to have Jake as our guest speaker at this year’s Veterans Day luncheon.”

To learn more about the 退伍军人节午宴 and to register, visit the 退伍军人节午宴网站.