Public invited to Nov. 11 Veterans Day events on campus.

Washtenaw Community College (WCC) will honor America’s heroes during its annual Veterans Day celebration Thursday, Nov. 11.

The public is invited to the 7 a.m. flag-raising in front of the Student Center building at the main entrance of campus, 4800 E. Huron River Dr., and the 10:30 a.m. ceremony on the second floor of the Student Center near the Wadhams Veterans Center.

The 10:30 a.m. event will include a special presentation of an American flag flown during a 2020 mission over Iraq and will be livestreamed for viewing from other locations.

Nearly 500 veteran students are enrolled at WCC, and the college offers comprehensive support services to veterans and their families. The Wadhams Veterans Center was again this year named by the Michigan Veteran Affairs Agency as a Gold-Level veteran-friendly school and is recognized by the Veterans Administration for following the Principles of Excellence guidelines for educational institutions receiving federal funding.

Current students who are veterans of the U.S. military branches will lead the sunrise flag-raising and speak at the ceremony.

Carter Hower, one of the speakers, served 10 years in the U.S. Army in various roles, including machine gunner, team leader and squad leader. Originally from Maryland, this is his first semester at WCC, where he plans to study pre-engineering and transfer to the University of Michigan to complete a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering.

“I always wanted as a kid to join the military. I loved doing my job and always thought, ‘There is no better job in the world than serving your country and protecting,’” says Hower, who was deployed to Afghanistan, Kuwait and Poland.

About Washtenaw Community College

Washtenaw Community College (WCC), Ann Arbor, Mich., educates students through a wide range of associate and certificate programs in areas such as health care, business, STEM and advanced transportation and mobility. WCC offers accelerated and online programs and is ranked the number one community college in Michigan, according to schools.com. WCC is committed to student success, with nearly 70% of students intending to transfer to complete a bachelor degree. The college also works through community, business and union partnerships to develop highly specialized training programs to meet the region’s workforce talent needs.

For more information about Washtenaw Community College, visit www.wccnet.edu.