The Foundation for a Meaningful Life
Kindergarten - Grade 9 in Southborough, MA
Kindergarten - Grade 9 in Southborough, MA
Alumni
Alumni
Making a Positive Difference for Veterans and their Families: Courtney Wilson '01
Courtney Wilson reflects on this year's school theme of Making a Positive Difference in her own life.
by Courtney Wilson '01
Service comes in many forms. For seven years, I had the privilege of serving in the U.S. Army, including a one-year deployment to Afghanistan, where I led a 39-soldier platoon in building operations bases and rebuilding roads and bridges to support the 2010 troop surge. I knew that when I left the military I wanted to continue to serve the veteran community in some way.
Service comes in many forms. For seven years, I had the privilege of serving in the U.S. Army, including a one-year deployment to Afghanistan, where I led a 39-soldier platoon in building operations bases and rebuilding roads and bridges to support the 2010 troop surge. I knew that when I left the military I wanted to continue to serve the veteran community in some way.
About a year ago, I was trying to help one of my former soldiers find services to help with his Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and I was able to connect him with an outdoor healing retreat that ended up changing his life. I thought, if one resource can make that much of a difference, imagine what three or four could do!
That’s where I got the idea to launch DropZone for Veterans, a website that will connect veterans with resources and benefits that are tailored to their exact needs. Veterans who are going back to school can find information on scholarships and grants. Parents can connect to non-profits that run summer camps, and veterans who are struggling with PTSD or who need therapeutic services can connect to organizations that offer acupuncture, yoga training, or service dogs.
There are 46,000 veteran-centered non-profits and tens of thousands of veteran centered corporate initiatives out there. Our goal is to aggregate all that information into one organized and accessible online resource. DropZone for Veterans launches on Veteran’s Day, Friday, November 11, and I hope that it will make a difference in the lives of those who have served.
That’s where I got the idea to launch DropZone for Veterans, a website that will connect veterans with resources and benefits that are tailored to their exact needs. Veterans who are going back to school can find information on scholarships and grants. Parents can connect to non-profits that run summer camps, and veterans who are struggling with PTSD or who need therapeutic services can connect to organizations that offer acupuncture, yoga training, or service dogs.
There are 46,000 veteran-centered non-profits and tens of thousands of veteran centered corporate initiatives out there. Our goal is to aggregate all that information into one organized and accessible online resource. DropZone for Veterans launches on Veteran’s Day, Friday, November 11, and I hope that it will make a difference in the lives of those who have served.
As I continue to work towards my MBA at Babson College, build and roll out DropZone for Veterans, and train for the Boston Marathon in April (which I will be running for the Massachusetts Fallen Heroes and Fisher House organizations), I know that it’s those lessons of hard work, perseverance, and unlimited possibility that I’ll carry with me.
48 MAIN STREET
SOUTHBOROUGH, MA 01772
main number 508-490-8250
admission 508-490-8201
SOUTHBOROUGH, MA 01772
main number 508-490-8250
admission 508-490-8201
