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MWCC Student Veterans Receive Continued Support from Gardner VFW

Five people stand in a row with the middle two holding a check and shaking hands.
The Ovila Case Post VFW is a steadfast supporter of scholarships for student veterans at Mount Wachusett Community College. Pictured from left to right are MWCC Foundation Executive Director Carla Zottoli, Director of Veteran Services Bob Mayer, MWCC President James Vander Hooven, VFW Quarter Master Howard Sands and Past Commander and MWCC alumnus Donald Progen.

The Ovila Case Post 905 Veterans of Foreign Wars in Gardner recently donated $1,000 to the Mount Wachusett Community College Foundation’s Veterans Memorial Scholarship.

President James Vander Hooven, Foundation Executive Director Carla Zottoli, and Director of Veteran Services Bob Mayer accepted the generous donation on May 15 from Quarter Master Howard Sands and Past Commander and MWCC alumnus Donald Progen, and thanked the post members for their ongoing support of MWCC and student veterans.

“Community support is a vital ingredient for the success of our students and the college as a whole,” said MWCC President James Vander Hooven. “A scholarship such as this one the VFW supports every year can mean a world of difference for our students. I am so thankful for this ongoing financial support from the VFW.”

The scholarship was established in 2004 to recognize the important role played by MWCC in ensuring that the sacrifices and service of veterans who served the country will not be forgotten. The Ovila Case Post 905 Veterans of Foreign Wars has supported the scholarship since that time, with 14 veterans having benefited from their hard work and generosity. Scholarship funds are awarded to new or returning full-time students who were honorably discharged from the U.S. Armed Forces or are currently serving in the Reserves or National Guard.

This year’s recipient, who received the award at the Evening of Excellence on May 10, is Cristen Comptois.