Ex-POW Jessica Lynch to graduate from college Friday

"CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- When she was 18, Jessica Lynch joined the Army so she could pay for college and become a kindergarten teacher. Now, 10 years later, the former prisoner of war will graduate on Friday from WVU Parkersburg with a degree in education.

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"PFC Lynch and other members of the 507th Maintenance Company were part of a convoy that took a wrong turn, wrecked and was ambushed near the hotly contested Iraqi city of Nasiriyah on March 23, 2003.

"In the wreck, Lynch's spine was broken in two places, causing nerve damage and severe abdominal complications. Her left leg was shattered above and below the knee, which caused additional nerve damage that left her without feeling in that limb. Her right arm was shattered between her shoulder and elbow, and her right hand was left virtually useless.

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"But even while facing numerous adversities, Lynch said she wanted her college experience to be "like everyone else's." "I didn't want anything handed to me. I wanted to work just as hard as anyone else, and I think I have," she said. "I stayed up late doing papers and midterms... So, I'm thankful now that it's over."

"Even so, Lynch plans to attend graduate school at WVU Parkersburg in the fall. She will be the first in her family to graduate from college. She said her family is elated and will all be there when she is handed her diploma."

http://www.wvgazette.com/News/201112130234


This young lady is a class act.