Family Man, Teacher is October’s Vet Who Rocks

This month's WPDH Vet Who Rocks is an Army veteran who's a dedicated teacher and family man.

Ken Wojtak was nominated as a WPDH Vet Who Rocks by his wife, Jackie. According to the letter we received from Jackie, Ken is not only committed to his country but also his family and students.

Wojtak served as an active duty infantry officer in a Stryker Brigade for the Army. During his time in service, the Hudson Valley vet spent time organizing a literacy program that connected soldiers with students. It's no wonder education has been a focus for Ken, even while serving in the Middle East. Wojtak is a teacher who doesn't let anything get in the way of his commitment to his students.

After spending 11 months in the Middle East, Ken returned to the classroom just four days after his latest deployment. His commitment to his students is so strong that during a time when many other people would want to reacclimate to civilian life, Ken was busy writing up lesson plans for his Earth Science classes at FDR High School in Hyde Park.

According to his wife, Ken is "a humble man who puts the needs of others before his own." Jackie says the army vet goes out of his way to mentor kids at the high school regardless of whether they are his students, to help keep them motivated and headed towards a path after graduation.

Ken has 5 years of active service and almost 6 years of Reserve and National Guard services, Spending time away from his wife and two daughters aged 12 and 10 can't be easy, but Ken is dedicated to serving his country and plans to continue his military service for the foreseeable future.

Jackie says her family is proud of the man Ken is and is "lucky to call him our vet." It sounds like there are many people lucky to know Ken, and that's why he's this month's Vet Who Rocks.

Ken will receive $500 for being this month's WPDH Vet Who Rocks. He will also be in the running for $10,000 which will be handed out to one monthly honoree on Veteran's Day this November.

Thank you to our partners: Tompkins Community Bank, Unity Ambulette, Xterior Solutions and MHA of Dutchess County.