Student Veteran Honored with Leadership Award in National Publication

Quinsigamond Community College Alumnus and current student Anthony "Tony" Barnardo was honored earlier this month in the latest issue of GI Jobs Magazine as one of the 2020 Student Veteran Leadership Award recipients. The award honors 48 student veterans from across the country who are making a positive impact at their school and in their communities.

Mr. Barnardo is a recent graduate from the college’s Hospitality Management-Food Service program and is now currently taking classes at QCC for a second Business Transfer degree before he transfers to Nichols College in the spring. He was recently featured in the April 2020 Wyvern Guardian newsletter for an online show he does weekly, “Quarantined in the Kitchen." The show features new weekly menu choices to help meal plan during the pandemic. He is a single parent who has overcome challenges in his life, and is working hard to realize his dream of one day opening his own food truck. He said QCC has been instrumental in helping him to reach his future goals.

“Things have just continued to get better and better, from being a part of the Veterans Club then becoming president, my professors have been great, I’m a PTK member, receiving the Student Veteran Leadership award, graduating this past May with High Honors, and being accepted to Nichols,” he said. “I wasn’t expecting everything to go so well.”

Mr. Barnardo is an active member to the college community and was recently featured in QCC’s Voting campaign, a college initiative designed to  inform and engage people about the value of voting.

“Starting at QCC for the spring semester of 2019 was the best decision I could’ve made,” he added.

Veterans looking to learn about the opportunities available at QCC can visit Veteran Affairs.