Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
A SPECIAL PLACE FOR VETERANS
DCCC holds grand opening of Nazz Mariani Veterans Center
MARPLE >> Delaware County Community College student Nicholas Delloso of Clifton Heights seemed impressed with the brand-new Nazz Mariani Veterans Center at the school.
“I’m already using the center a lot,” the Army veteran and current member of the National Guard said at the center’s grand opening festivities this week. “The former meeting place for vets here at DCCC was much smaller. This is so much nicer and roomier. It’s great to have a spot that we can call our own.”
The 1008-square foot Nazz Mariani Veterans Center was officially unveiled Tuesday at DCCC’s Marple campus. Set in a private room on campus, located next to the cafeteria in a space that was previously occupied by a small coffee shop, the center provides a refuge for veterans and active ser-
vice men and women who are studying at DCCC. Comfortable chairs and tables, four computers, a Keurig coffee machine, and a water cooler make the room an inviting respite spot. Military branch flags decorate the room. Users sign in at a reception desk and then use the facility to do homework, socialize, enjoy a snack and beverage or relax and watch TV or use a computer.
The new center was made possible by a gift from Pam Mariani of West Chester to pay tribute to her father Nazz Mariani, who served in the Pacific Theater during World War II and was owner/founder of the former Edgmont Country Club, which closed in April 2016. Pam, the former general manager of the country club, has been an active member of the DCCC Educational Foundation Board for more than ten years. She previously established the Phil-Hanna Memorial Scholarship for DCCC students in honor of her parents, as well as memorial flower gardens at DCCC in memory of her mother and her fiancé.
“I couldn’t think of a better way to honor my father,” Mariani said at the vet center’s grand opening. “My dad was a proud gunner in the Army in the 1940s during World War II. When he came home from the war, he worked hard in his construction business. My father loved the community and believed in education. So, I thought, what better way to honor him than to make a place that’s useful for veterans at community college. This center combines all of my father’s passions and most of mine too.”
Mariani’s gift paid for the capital expenditures in creating the center, including renovations, painting, carpeting, all furnishings, computers, software, signage and military flags. The gift also paid for a television for the center, which DCCC President Jerry Parker said “is the only TV set on campus.”
In addition to the military banners and flags, a POW/MIA table and chair were installed in a corner of the room, representing the absence of prisoners of war or the missing in action, a tradition that has been in place since the end of the Vietnam War.
The powerfully symbolic POW/MIA table is set in the standard fashion: The table is small, symbolizing the frailty of a prisoner, and is separate from others in the room. The white tablecloth represents purity of the response to the country’s call to arms; the round table signifies a never-ending concern; the black napkin stands for the emptiness the warrior has left in the hearts of family and friends; a single red rose is a reminder of family and loved ones; the slice of lemon is a reminder of their bitter fate; salt upon the bread plate represents the tears of their families; and the upside-down wine glass reminds each viewer that the warrior is not present to drink a toast or to celebrate an occasion.
The ongoing expenses of the center’s programming will be supported by a generous grant from the Wilbur C. and Betty Lea Henderson Foundation.
“To bring the center to life and add value to the purpose for which it was created, the college sought funding from the Wilbur C. and Betty Lea Henderson Foundation whose $50,000 grant, payable over five years, will support activities and events for veterans, such as today’s presentation by Shannon Rusch, a Navy SEAL and motivational speaker,” said DCCC Vice President for Institutional Advancement Kathleen Breslin, who is also the executive director of the DCCC Educational Foundation.
Prior to the dedication, Rusch, a former U.S. Navy BUD SEAL Operator, spoke to an auditorium full of guests. His inspirational speech, “A Warrior’s Mind,” addressed how people should work toward discovering their passion, make an action plan in their daily living to create the future that they desire and develop a “no-fail” mentality to achieve that future.
Rusch, born in Oklahoma and raised in Missouri, told his own story about his mother being killed by a drunken driver when he was just a toddler. He was then raised by grandparents. Rusch went through a dark phase as a teen, acting out in high-risk behaviors and making poor decisions. It was the challenge of the SEALS and wanting to be the best he could be, not to let down his teammates, that saved him and changed the direction of his life.
“The SEALS taught me not to quit and to use every opportunity for growth,” he said.
Rusch, who is currently involved actively in SEAL Swim Charities (www.sealswimcharities.org), called the SEAL training “the most difficult in the world.” He explained the grueling tests and challenges with which he was confronted, and that taught him the importance of focusing his mind on solutions, not on problems.
“We have one shot in this life to write our story so why not write it big,” Rusch said. “Find your passion, whatever it is that sets your soul on fire, and then set about finding a way to live it. Don’t allow others or negative thoughts to hold you back. Thoughts are the only thing we can control so stop concentrating on destructive ones. Make your mistakes and failures a part of your success story. Turn your positive thoughts into words and then into actions. The opportunity to win is always there.”
The Henderson Foundation grant will support programs with special guests and speakers, similar to Rusch’s visit, as well as educational field trips and amenities in the center, including coffee and other ongoing expenses. The Nazz Mariani Veterans Center is meant to be a place where students can socialize, do their homework or work on special projects and take a breather from the hustle and bustle of the campus at-large.
“We are happy to have this new center where we can come and relax and talk to other veterans and support each other,” commented Marine veteran/ DCCC student Camden Bales of Upper Chichester as he sat down to watch the dedication.
According to Breslin, DCCC serves over 350 veterans during any given semester. Inscribed on the wall of the center in shiny bold letters for all who enter to see is “Nazz Mariani Veterans Center” and underneath that, “Wilbur C and Betty Lea Henderson Foundation Fund For Veterans Programs.”
Bill Taylor and Brian Coyle of the Henderson Foundation were on hand at the dedication to offer a few remarks about their commitment to veterans and the new DCCC Center. The foundation was recently awarded a Freedom Medal for its involvement with the Delaware County Veterans Memorial in Newtown Square. Wilbur Henderson, a lieutenant colonel in the Army and a successful local businessman/real estate developer, started the foundation to promote education and aid veterans.
“This school (DCCC) is both military- and veteranfriendly,” Taylor remarked. “It’s exactly the type of recipient for which Wilbur’s foundation was intended. We want to be sure veterans get good treatment here. We are blessed to be a part of this program. ”
“As veteran students pursue their education, it is important to offer opportunities for them to develop camaraderie and support networks with fellow veterans,” Breslin stated. “Both the new center and the fund for special events and activities will serve to better engage our student veterans in the life of the college and their academic progress. DCCC has a commitment to serving our veterans, but getting financial backing like this helps us do so much more.”
Before the dozens of dedication guests exited the center to a special luncheon to celebrate the grand opening, a few young veterans mulled around the center admiring the details fashioned exclusively for them.
“It really is nice to have a private area where you can gather and know it will be veteran-friendly,” commented Mark Berry of Morgantown, active serviceman in the U.S. Army. “I met many other students whom I wouldn’t have met otherwise if it weren’t for a center like this. Plus, it’s nice having the extra computers at your disposal to use.”
DCCC alumna Lt. Robin Lawrence of Drexel Hill, former president of the DCCC Veterans Club and currently a human resource officer with the Army National Guard, said the new Nazz Mariani Veterans Center is a place “we only dreamed of” when she was a student at the college.
“We always wanted a large space like this,” Lawrence remarked as her eyes darted around the room approvingly. “This center will bring so much peace. It’s such a beautiful place. It really is, like a dream come true!”