PIQUA — As part of National Veterans and Military Families Month, the Diversity Committee at Edison State Community College will host Wounded Warrior Project® speaker Cindy Parsons on Wednesday, Nov. 8. The event will begin at 12:30 p.m. in the Robinson Theater at the Piqua Campus.

Students, employees, and community members are invited to attend the event, which will include light refreshments at 12:30 p.m., with introductions and Parsons’ presentation at 1 p.m. A question-and-answer session will follow at 1:30 p.m.

In 2006, Parsons’ son, U.S. Army Sergeant Shane Parsons, was deployed in Iraq when his convoy was hit by an explosive device. This explosion would prove to be life-altering for him. He endured severe injuries, including multiple heart problems, a severe brain injury, the partial loss of one leg, and the amputation of the other.

Cindy Parsons, who worked as a nurse at the time, decided to leave her job to support her son in his recovery. Being his primary caregiver, she became aware of the hardships the families of injured veterans face. She became inspired to help and would play a crucial role in supporting the Wounded Warrior Project in helping to pass the Caregiver and Veteran Omnibus Health Service Act of 2010, a law that gives help to caregivers of injured veterans. She now travels across the country to share her inspiring story.

In addition to the Wounded Warrior Project speaker event, the Diversity Committee is commemorating National Veterans and Military Families Month by providing Edison State students with the opportunity to hear from Veteran speakers and experience a traveling exhibit from the Miami Valley Veterans Museum throughout November.

For more information, contact Joe Ratermann, Career Pathways Advisor and Veterans’ Services Specialist, by emailing [email protected] or calling 937.778.7827.