22-05-2025
‘Incredibly rewarding': A look inside a New Jersey high school club dedicated to serving veterans
WEST ORANGE, N.J. (PIX11) — At this school, servicemembers have friends.
'Seton Hall Prep stands with our veterans,' said senior Graham Coakley, 'and we will always support our troops.'
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Seton Hall Prep School's Veterans Services Club is a group of dozens of young men who dedicate the time they have away from studies and sports to active duty and retired vets.
'I think it's just an incredibly rewarding feeling,' said senior Max Widmer. 'I haven't really found it anywhere else.'
'Over the years, we've worked with veterans, we've sent packages to veterans, visited veterans,' said club coordinator Vinny McMahon.
Coakley and Widmer are outgoing seniors and look back at all they've accomplished.
'We also did a lot of letter-writing, we did all throughout the year,' said Coakley. 'Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, we wrote letters to veterans, sent them overseas.'
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Recently, students in the club planted American flags all across campus, in a showing of support and pride ahead of Memorial Day.
'It would be great if more people did what they do,' said school security officer Thomas Ronnie, a Marine veteran. He says he's proud of all the students do, including their next gig: visiting the Lyons VA on June 5th. 'Lord knows there's a ton of veterans out there struggling every day to get through life after coming home.'
Mason Heskett is an up-and-coming senior and comes from a family of veterans. He will be taking the reins of the club, hoping it will grow even more.
'I want them to know that it's very important to look after the people that have looked after us,' said Heskett. 'It really should be at every school, I don't know if it is, but I'd say Seton Hall is definitely one of the lucky few that can do so much for veterans.'
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