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WILKES-BARRE &mdash; Wilkes University became the first local institution to be deemed a Pennsylvania National Guard Associations (PNGAS) &ldquo;Guard-Friendly School&rdquo; when the eight schools were added to the list this year.
				The PNGAS Education developed the designation, devising 10 criteria &ldquo;that create supportive learning environment to assist members of the Pennsylvania Guard pursuing post-secondary degrees.&rdquo; Colleges, universities and trade-schools apply for the title, and the organization determines if they meet the requirements.
				With the eight schools added this year, the PNGAS has deemed 48 institutions state-wide as guard friendly. In a media release, Wilkes veterans counselor Lr. Col. Mark Kaster (ret.), said the recognition has value to the school and the area because guard members and their families live and work locally.
				&ldquo;Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference; Pennsylvania Guard members don&rsquo;t have that problem,&rdquo; Kaster said in the release. &ldquo;They are the helping hand in a natural disaster. They deploy to provide security. They lead the relief effort in a world-wide pandemic. Always ready, they make a difference every day. I&rsquo;m proud that Wilkes University serves this important community.&rdquo;
				&ldquo;More than ever, the past year has demonstrated Guard members have unique responsibilities, and this creates different challenges for them when pursuing a degree,&rdquo; said Joseph E. Dagney, Chairman of the PNGAS Education Action Council. &ldquo;These schools have made a deliberate effort to be flexible, accommodating, and supportive of Guard members, and it&rsquo;s very appreciated.&rdquo;
				Non-profit PNGAS isn&rsquo;t associated or legally connected with the National Guard, state or federal governments. It&rsquo;s stated mission is to support men, women and veterans of the guard.
				On the organization&rsquo;s website, Executive Director Kathleen Fabrizi expressed confidence the designation &ldquo;will keep producing immediate and long-term benefits and synergies for students, faculty, alumni, PNGAS members, veterans, their families, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and its economy.&rdquo;

Wilkes University joins the list of ‘Guard-Friendly Schools’