New England College’s annual Founder’s Day celebration was held during the first week of classes as a reminder that the institution was created to members of the military. NEC began small in 1946, to educate Veterans of World War II who returned home and sought a college education.
The keynote speaker was retired Navy Captain Lynne Blankenbeker, who served in both military and civilian capacities and completed numerous deployments and assignments throughout the Middle East. Blackenbecker was deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan, and Guantanamo Bay, and worked in the Pentagon.
“As a Navy nurse, I met many tremendous heroes who forever shaped and changed my life,” Blankenbeker said.
Blackenbecker said her deployments reminded her of the freedom Americans are granted and encouraged students to pursue challenges.
“Being born a woman in the United States has afforded me so many tremendous opportunities. We can vote and go to college and do things women in other countries cannot do. I think what that has underscored for me is not just for women, but our opportunities as Americans to do whatever we want to do, it’s boundless.”