12 veterans graduate, work as consultants at Alight Solutions Information

Twelve veterans graduated from Workforce Opportunity Services (WOS) and Lincolnshire-based Alight Solutions' Information and Security Project Management Program earlier this week.

The 8-week course at McHenry County College was created by WOS, a nonprofit dedicated to helping veterans and others in underserved communities find jobs. The graduates will work as consultants at Alight Solutions as WOS employees for the next 12 months before becoming eligible to transition to full-time Alight employees.

"These veterans sacrificed everything for our country, so it's an honor to do something for them," said Art Langer, founder of WOS. "Congratulations to all 12 of these amazing individuals as they find a fresh start at Alight Solutions."

Patrick Chung and Matthew Collins were among the veterans who found a new career pathway through WOS. Collins lives in Arlington Heights and served in the Air Force as a computer technician. He found himself hopping from job to job for 10 years after leaving the Air Force until he found WOS. He is currently working as a project coordinator.

Chung went to school in Chicago and now resides in Mount Prospect. He served in the Army from 2005-2011, spending 18 months in Afghanistan and two years in Korea. During the last two years of his tour, his dad's liver failed and he donated his own to save his father's life. The liver is the only organ that grows back. Chung's is currently 70 percent regenerated. This action led to his honorable discharge, and he came back to Chicago to finish his marketing degree at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

"These WOS graduates bring proven discipline, diverse experiences and unique expertise that will allow them to make a significant contribution to Alight," said Chris Michalak, CEO of Alight Solutions. "At Alight, our strategy calls for talented people that will help push our innovation agenda forward, and the training these graduates have received in technology and project management will undoubtedly help our clients and their employees to thrive. I congratulate each graduate on their hard work and wish them the greatest success as they embark on the next stage of their professional lives."