Merrimack Teen Honors Veterans With School Senior Project

MERRIMACK, NH — Allison Ouellette could have chosen just about any subject to focus on for her senior class project at Founders Academy Public Charter School in Manchester. The senior from Merrimack said some of her classmates wrote cookbooks, created YouTube channels, and picked things they considered fun and interesting.

But what Ouellette said she determined truly interested her for the project was supporting those who were willing to pay the ultimate price for their country. That's why she proposed "Educate. Honor. Support." — a Veterans Day breakfast to raise money for the Liberty House veterans shelter in Manchester.

The event will be at Founders Academy at 10 a.m. and is scheduled to include an opening ceremony, speaker and a panel on veterans' issues.

"When I told my advisors what I wanted to do their reaction was: 'That's ambitious," Ouellette said. "I knew it would be a lot of work. Bu I am definitely proud of what I've been able to do with it so far. I am hoping it will be successful."

Ouellette's project is themed "Learning how to serve those who have offered up everything to serve us" with the goal of raising $5,000 for Liberty House, and bringing awareness to veterans' issues that she believes are overlooked on a daily basis.

"I think veterans' healthcare is a really big problem," Ouellette told Patch in an interview this week. "You see all these studies of what veterans face, and as a country you see we haven't done a really good job. These veterans put everything on the line for us. Then to see they are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, homelessness, substance-abuse issues where they are not getting enough help, it's unbearable."

Ouellette's project is to develop and promote the continental breakfast with speakers on Nov. 11 with a suggested donation of $50 that goes entirely to Liberty House Inc. — which provides veterans with a place to live while they get back on their feet. Liberty House does not receive government funding so it relies on community support to help provide for veterans.

"It's a lot more difficult than I expected it to be," allowed Ouellette, who said she plans to study political science in college with her top two choices being Harvard University and the University of Vermont. "When I presented the idea to my advisor I was told that it was going to be a lot to handle. But I said: 'Don’t worry about it. I'll be fine.' The hardest thing has been finding contacts. As a teenager, I don't have a lot of contacts. So that has been difficult. But it's been a good experience for me."

Ouellette said her passion for veterans' issues comes from her family where her great grandfather served in World War II and her grandfather served in Vietnam.

"Growing up, I always heard their stories," she said. "I knew I might not ever have the courage they did to serve like that, or the opportunity, but in this way I could find a place to honor their commitment to this country."

Those who would like to RSVP to attend the breakfast, or donate to Liberty House through Ouellette's project, can do so at the website she created for the event or through its Facebook page.