Veterans are known has heroes that have sacrificed more than imaginable putting the lives of others before their own. These heroes live out Wesleyan’s JOY motto by putting the safety of others before their own. The school held an assembly honoring those in the community who have risked their lives for others on Nov. 9 in Yancy Gymnasium. Keep Reading
For technology specialist and veteran Cristian Piedra, nothing says “thank you” to American heroes like 1,500 members of the Wesleyan community gathered in Yancey Gymnasium to celebrate Veterans Day. “We don’t ask for anything as servicemen, and the fact that we are recognized and celebrated is more than enough.”
Veterans have fought hard to protect the freedoms in America and deserve to be celebrated for their dedication and hard work. Veterans Day is a national holiday that takes place on November 11th. This holiday was put in place to honor those who have served in the military. At Wesleyan, this holiday is honored with an assembly. This assembly recognizes faculty members, family members of faculty or students and alumni who have served and/or are serving in the military.
This year’s speaker, SGT. Dan Llorens, has been involved at Wesleyan for many years. He served in the United States Marine Corps, and shared about his experience when he first joined the military and how grateful he was for the opportunity to serve this country. After he finished speaking at the assembly, the names of all parents of students, faculty and alumni who have served or are serving currently were presented on the screen.
One of the Wesleyan faculty members who has served in the military is Cristian Piedra. He works in the IT department. He signed up for the United States Army when he was 18 years old. His deployments were usually three to five months at a time.
“When I was deployed, I would always tell my parents that they had nothing to worry about,” Piedra said. “Even though I would be in very dangerous situations a majority of the time, I wouldn’t let my family know that. My family tended to always worry about me. It was a new experience for my family because I was the first Piedra to ever be in the military.” Keep Reading
