Navient hosts Warrior Canine Connection

NEWARK, Del., Oct. 24, 2017 -- Employees at Navient attended an event today to hear from U.S. Army Veteran Christian Santos and his service dog Cody. Santos is among the thousands of wounded veterans benefiting from the animal-assisted therapy provided by the nonprofit organization, Warrior Canine Connection.

Navient employees presented a check to Warrior Canine Connection.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f605c9a1-96cd-48b3-9c31-94c28dcf9432

“Before I had Cody, I was not really leaving my house much,” said Santos. “He has made me so much more comfortable going out in public and talking to people. He senses when I am anxious and helps keep me calm. At one time, I was on 17 kinds of medications for my pain, stress and anxiety. Since Cody was placed with me, I do not take any medication at all. Cody is the best medication I've ever had!”

Santos and Cody were joined by the organization’s executive director Rick Yount and other service dogs. Navient hosted the visit as part of the training and socialization of the service dogs and for employees to learn more about the program.

“As a nonprofit organization, WCC relies on the generosity and leadership of corporations and individuals to achieve its mission. The support of Navient and its employees allows WCC to not only provide more service dogs to veterans in need, but also provide critical mental health therapy to veterans suffering from the invisible wounds of war,” said Yount. “With more than half a million veterans being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress since 9/11, this mission to provide hope and healing has never been more important.”

At the event, Yount was presented a check for $2,022. The contribution was raised entirely by employees in Delaware through the Jeans BeCause program, which offers participating employees a "pass" to dress casually on certain days for their volunteer donations.

“The dedicated staff and volunteers at Warrior Canine Connection understand the wounds of war can’t always be cured in the hospital,” said Mike Maier, senior vice president at Navient and U.S. Navy veteran. “Our employees appreciate their work on behalf of veterans and our communities.”

Seventy percent of Navient employees have either served in the military themselves or have an immediate family member who has served. Navient is a member of the Veteran Jobs Mission, a coalition of companies committed to hiring U.S. military veterans and military spouses. The company also hosts a Veterans Resource Group, an employee-led talent development program to support military veterans and their careers.

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About Navient
Navient (Nasdaq:NAVI) is a leading provider of asset management and business processing solutions for education, healthcare, and government clients at the federal, state, and local levels. The company helps its clients and millions of Americans achieve financial success through services and support. Headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, Navient employs team members in western New York, northeastern Pennsylvania, Indiana, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Wisconsin and other locations. Learn more at navient.com.

About Warrior Canine Connection
Warrior Canine Connection is a pioneering organization that utilizes a Mission Based Trauma Recovery model to empower returning combat veterans who have sustained physical and psychological wounds while in service to our country. Based on the concept of Warriors helping Warriors, WCC’s therapeutic service dog training program is designed to mitigate symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, and other challenges, while giving injured combat veterans a sense of purpose, help in reintegrating back into their families and communities, and a potential career path as a service dog trainer.

Contact:

Media:
Navient: Nikki Lavoie, [email protected], 302-283-4057
WCC: Beth Bourgeois, 719-216-3206

Military Customers: [email protected], 855-284-4879

Customers: 888-272-5543

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