Martina Meng
Martina Meng is the Manager of the UMSL Veterans Center and a proud UMSL alumn. Her journey in higher education began right here at the University of Missouri–St. Louis, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Music Education (K-12 Vocal and Instrumental). Fueling her passion for supporting students, she went on to earn her Master’s of Higher Education and Leadership from Missouri Baptist University and is currently back home at UMSL, working toward her doctorate in the EdD program.
Martina brings a deep personal understanding of military service and student support to her role. She served in the Missouri Army National Guard for 13 and a half years and previously worked as the State Tuition Assistance Manager for the Missouri National Guard. This extensive firsthand experience allows her to navigate the complex landscape of military education benefits with ease.
At the heart of Martina’s work is a simple, powerful promise: our military-connected students are never in this journey alone. Navigating college life, transition, and shifting educational benefit policies can feel overwhelming. Martina and her team work tirelessly to ensure that the UMSL Veterans Center is a true compass for military-connected students—helping them find their footing, plot their course, and always find their way back to a community that supports them.
Ann Kaufmann
Ann is the School Certifying Official for the UMSL Veterans Center. Ann has worked in higher education administration for over 10 years, in many capacities. Most recently, she was Assistant Registrar at a local private university. In this role, she was the School Certifying Official for all veterans, assisting them from admissions through graduation. It was the most rewarding aspect of her job, being able to advocate for and help those that have served our country, through the many layers of receiving their education benefits. She focuses most of her time at UMSL processing certifications and changes to the VA and is committed to getting the details correct in a timely manner for each student. This allows students to focus on their educational goals knowing they are supported by all of those in the UMSL Veterans Center.
Leigh Ann Kervin
Leigh Ann Kervin is the Veterans Center Coordinator at the University of Missouri–St. Louis, where she supports veterans, service members, and military-connected students throughout their educational journey. Drawing on experience as both an Air Force veteran and military spouse, she brings both professional and personal experience to her work, allowing her to better understand the unique opportunities and challenges faced by military-connected students.
Leigh Ann earned a Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies with focuses in Education and Behavioral Sciences from the University of Central Florida. In her role at UMSL, she works closely with students to advocate for their success, and foster a welcoming environment where they can thrive academically and personally. She is dedicated to ensuring military-connected students receive the support they need to achieve their educational goals.
VA Work Study Students
The Veterans Center is staffed with student workers who draw upon their own experience with the transition to college, navigating VA benefits and being an UMSL student, to help guide our military-connected students on a daily basis and provide peer-to-peer support. Contact the center if you are interested in joining the team.