Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/683337
Subscribe at www.careercollegecentral.com 21 S ergeant Lisa Crutch, Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) alumna, told me, "I would love to stand some place, perhaps a street corner, anywhere many people are walking by, and thank the people who have supported WWP. I would shake all their hands because WWP has made a world of difference in my life." You are about to get to know the wounded warrior who spoke those words to me. Crutch is a former United States Army sergeant and a native of Queens, New York, who now lives in Florida. While serving our country, her war experiences resulted in multiple injuries, including a traumatic brain injury and post- traumatic stress disorder. Yet her smile and positive spirit are easy to hear in her voice. Her pride in having been part of history is evident when she speaks about serving in the Iraq War from January 2004 to January 2005. Lisa said, "WWP has helped in ways I couldn't start to explain; WWP has been a light in a tunnel of darkness." Lisa is a full-time college student who has earned an associate degree from Florida State College at Jacksonville and is currently attending St. Johns River State College, working on a Bachelor of Applied Science in Organizational Management. She has completed the Wounded Warrior Project's TRACK program. e WWP TRACK program is a 12-month program in which wounded servicemen and servicewomen take part in a team approach to the education process. She spoke warmly of the program, which was created to assist wounded warriors get back on their feet, to some form of normal, and to get back to work and a productive, happy life. Lisa spoke of the strangers who donated money to help soldiers like her. ese people did not know her, yet their generosity helped her and her family. She went on to say that these amazing people don't realize how far their donation goes, even if it is a single dollar, as the money finds hope. is hope provides opportunities that are shared with service members who need it the most. She said the amount of money donated doesn't even matter; giving from the heart is what she feels, and it makes all the difference. Her advice to all wounded warriors she meets with is to "call WWP, tell them your problems, tell them your concerns, and WWP will help you. What WWP has done for me is sustainable; they have taught me to cope, to overcome, and I will be fine."