WCC to honor veterans during the annual ceremony

Students and visitors gather to honor past and present veterans

America’s heroes will receive special thanks at Washtenaw Community College (WCC) during its annual Veterans Day celebration Friday, November 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 Drive, as well as to the 10:30 a.m. ceremony on the second floor of the Student Center near the Wadhams Veterans Center.

Nearly 500 veteran students are enrolled at WCC, and the college offers comprehensive support services to veterans and their families.

WCC supports an active Student Veterans of America Club on campus, led by president Rebekah Spencer of Ann Arbor. Spencer, who served in the United States Army and Army National Guard, will speak during the ceremony.

“The college and this state have incredible programs to make sure veterans don’t fall through the cracks when it comes to their educational goals,” said Spencer, who is pursuing an Associate in Liberal Arts degree. “The message I want people to understand is that it’s imperative for veterans to know they can make a comeback from a traumatic experience on deployments and it not come between them and their educational goals.”

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

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.

In addition, WCC became a Michigan Connector school by partnering with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the United States Department of Veterans Affairs to bring the Governor’s Challenge to Prevent Suicide Among Service Members, Veterans, and their Families to communities across Michigan.

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 was 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.