Wilton Student Honored at 'Young American' Awards

Press release from the Western Connecticut Military Officers Association:

June 12 2020

FAIRFIELD, Connecticut- The Western Connecticut Military Officers Association (WCMOA), Quest Diagnostics and Patriot Bank, N.A., honored high school seniors at the 2020 Young American Awards presentation held on Sunday, 7 June 2020. This prestigious program recognized high school seniors, nominated from 24 Fairfield County high schools, who demonstrated outstanding leadership, academic success and community service at the first "virtual" awards ceremony in the 45 year history of the awards.

This year,$14,500 in scholarship awards were given to our nominees. Please join us in congratulating the following award winners:

Colin Corneck Staples HS $3000

David Niski Shelton HS $3000

James Flink Fairfield Ludlowe $1000

Joseph Bednar Fairfield Prepatory $1000

Ajay Natarajan Ridgefield HS $1000

Zachary Muraskin Wilton HS $500

Sophie Lipset Fairfield Warde $500

Nolan Shay Trumbull HS $500

“We are proud of these exceptional young men and women who have endured so much during their Senior year,” said Al Smith, First Lieutenant, US Army (retired), President of WCMOA. “As veterans, our members fully appreciated the ‘can do’ spirit that has driven these young adults to excel – and we did not let anything, including a pandemic, prevent us from honoring them and their families.”

“Quest is honored to support these young adults who have demonstrated a passion for serving others,” said Steve Rusckowski, Chairman, CEO and President of Quest Diagnostics, and a native of Torrington Conn. “I wish them well as they begin the next chapter of their lives, and we thank WCMOA for giving us an opportunity to participate in this important program.”

“Patriot Bank is honored to continue its partnership with the Western Connecticut Military Officers Association and brining special recognition to some of our community’s finest student-citizens,” says John Slater, Vice President/Branch Manager of Patriot Bank. “Patriot Bank has long been dedicated to contributing in a significant way to educational and all across the local communities we serve. This group of students has distinguished themselves and Patriot is honored to play a part in honoring their dedication and achievement.”

Western Connecticut Military Officers Association is a non-profit organization founded in November 1958, currently celebrating its 61th year. Its goals are to stimulate “love of country” as well as supporting and defending the US Constitution. Its membership consists of women and men who served as officers in all branches of the Armed Services in both peace time and war. The WCMOA Young American Awards program is in its 45th year of supporting the education of young Fairfield county patriots.

About Patriot Bank

Patriot Bank has made a mission to support local communities since opening in 1994, helping its neighbors and neighborhood businesses thrive. It also sponsors financial literacy education programs throughout Connecticut and in Westchester County in New York.

www.BankPatriot.com/

About Quest Diagnostics

Quest Diagnostics empowers people to take action to improve health outcomes. Derived from the world's largest database of clinical lab results, our diagnostic insights reveal new avenues to identify and treat disease, inspire healthy behaviors and improve health care management. Quest Diagnostics annually serves one in three adult Americans and half the physicians and hospitals in the United States, and our 47,000 employees understand that, in the right hands and with the right context, our diagnostic insights can inspire actions that transform lives. www.QuestDiagnostics.com.

About COVID-19 Testing by Quest Diagnostics

Quest Diagnostics is at the forefront of response to the COVID-19 pandemic, working to broaden access to laboratory insights to help us all lead healthier lives. We provide both molecular diagnostic and antibody serology tests to aiding the diagnosis of COVID-19 and immune response. Our COVID-19 test services are based on tests that have received or are expected to receive FDA emergency use authorization and which also meet our high standards for quality. We provide data on COVID-19 testing to various federal and state public health authorities, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and participate in studies with government and private institutions, aiding COVID-19 public health response and research. Through our team of dedicated phlebotomists, couriers, air fleet team, and laboratory professionals, Quest Diagnostics won't stop until quality testing is broadly available to patients and communities across the United States.

For more information about the latest developments with our COVID-19 testing, visit: newsroom.questdiagnostics.com/COVIDTestingUpdates

This press release was produced by the Western Connecticut Military Officers Association. The views expressed here are the author’s own.