Retired Army National Guard, Sergeant First Class Shawn Banzhaf has long believed in the healing power of wilderness therapy, writing, and community-building. The speaker, trainer, and author of The Five Ls: A Practical Guide for Helping Loved Ones Heal After Trauma, now serves as the executive director of the Pat Tillman Veteran Center at Arizona State University, functioning as a kind of cadence-caller as he leads over 10,000 military-affiliated students in their quest for reintegration, education, and healing.
When did you begin drafting your book, the 5Ls, and what inspired it?
I began drafting the book in 2019. It started as a LinkedIn article that I wrote and shared with President Michael Crow and General Ben Freakley in response to a call to action to help stem the tide of suicide that was overtaking college campuses at the time. More specifically, I realized that as someone who had walked through post-traumatic stress after war, I wanted people to have something they could do to help folks just like me.
Tell us about your evolution at ASU and within the Tillman Center—specifically, how did your experiences in higher ed influence the way you direct the center?
I started as a volunteer chaplain for the center and did that for about a year and half. I took time to listen to student veterans and the staff here at the PTVC. To talk about their struggles, to laugh with them and cry with them. It was a meaningful time for many. When a position came up at the center full time, I took the job and used the same person first approach to everything I did. I think my time in higher ed over the years which included about 10 years of being a campus pastor really shaped me in understanding the need for a strong community that equals persistence in everyone’s college journey. I hope this is the great influencer in how I direct the center.
How did you get involved with Huts/Trek for Vets and how has the program informed your work at the center (and vice versa)?
I was sent on a “fact finding” mission and participated in the program called Huts for Vets in Aspen, CO. I went because my supervisor at the time wanted someone to go to see if the program would be viable to bring back to AZ. It was one of the most challenging things physically that I had undertaken since getting out of the military but what it did for me mentally and emotionally can not be understated. I didn’t think I needed healing, thought I was okay, but I found myself healed in the wilderness and knew right away that this type of program would help other veterans like me. How the program informs me as I lead the center, it simply keeps me responding to our students like the individuals they are. To not lump them all together into a monolith. This is essential to the wellbeing of our students.
What kinds of healing/impact have you witnessed within the program (and/or yourself)?
I found the wild to be a place of exploration into the things I struggle with. I am able to sit with my feelings and emote them because of Treks. I don’t have feel ashamed of how I feel and to me that healing in itself. I have also found a love of hiking so that when I am having a bad day or a bad week, I know the wilderness is there to bathe in and to seek solace whenever I need it. Also, important in the healing process is having something that you can do any time you need it.
What inspires you to continue?
I am inspired by seeing our students find their intrinsic value. To watch them realize that they matter and to succeed in life. Love also inspires me daily. When I feel loved, and show love to those around me, it drives me to be that person every day.
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