Veteran to Veteran

Division of ITS Dean Ali Rafieymehr (left) and Champlain College Human Resources Director Sarah Potter (right) received honorary plaques from Cpt. Cristian Balan, who served in the 172nd Cavalry Squadron Task Force Morgan in Afghanistan in 2010. Balan is an assistant professor in the Division of Information Technology and Sciences.

Scholarship Fund to Honor Service

Ronald J. Fatato ’66 was 22 years old when he joined the Army and on June 20, 1968, was sent to Vietnam. He recalls being “hot and muggy during the day, cold and exhausted at night; curious yet scared. Excited one moment, then bored and homesick the next.”

With those memories still fresh, Fatato and his wife, Pat Olwell Fatato, have created two Veterans funds, the Ronald J. Fatato ’66 Veterans Fund, to honor his fellow servicemen and women, and the Sgt. John Olwell Veterans Fund, to honor Pat’s father who earned a silver star in the Normandy Beach invasion in World War II.

Both funds are meant to work hand-in-hand with the Yellow Ribbon program established by the government to help today’s returning veterans and their families engaged in the military since 2001 get an education. The funds will assist veterans in their application process, their financial aid process, in applying for the Federal Yellow Ribbon program funding when appropriate, and to help veterans and their family members acclimate to college life. In addition, the funds will be used to provide scholarship funding to fill the gap after federal funds are exhausted.

“My strongest memories are the day I arrived in Vietnam — and the day I left to come home. It’s not easy to return to civilian life. Often our veterans need to feel appreciated and to go back to school with students who are both younger than they are and not always understanding of their experiences. A good education is irreplaceable and as a Champlain graduate, I know that well.”

He continued, “I’m adding my support to the Yellow Ribbon program and pledging to match any gifts dollar-for-dollar over the next five years up to $100,000 to the Sgt. John Olwell Veterans Fund and The Ronald J. Fatato ’66 Veterans Fund. “I believe those who have served our country deserve our gratitude and I know that a Champlain education will help them find a career path and be successful, as it did for me,” he said.

“This Fund is a legacy I’m proud to begin at a college I’m proud to call my alma mater.”

To give, visit Veterans Funds, or call Erik Oliver in the Office of Advancement at (802) 383-6662.