Former Badger football lineman Jake Wood, the co-founder and president of a nonprofit organization that deploys military veterans to aid in disaster relief internationally, will be this year's mid-year commencement speaker at the ceremonies taking place on Dec. 18 at the Kohl Center.
Wood's organization, Team Rubicon, aims to give military veterans a "continued feeling of self worth" by allowing them to apply their skills to disaster response. According to Team Rubicon's website, 92 percent of the 2.2 million Iraq and Afghanistan veterans say continued community service is important to them, and 44 percent of veterans report feeling they no longer serve a purpose.
Created in January 2010, the organization has impacted thousands of people across the globe.
Wood served four years in the U.S. Marine Corps, fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. He now speaks around the country about issues veterans face upon returning home.
This year, Wood received GQ Magazine's "Better Men, Better World" award as well as the Big Ten Conference "Live Big" award for his work with Team Rubicon.
