SourceAmerica Honors Wounded Warrior Sebastian Ploszaj with Annual Award

By SourceAmerica 03/08/2016

VIENNA, Va. – In recognition of his ongoing and exemplary support of advocating for fellow wounded warriors in the workplace, SourceAmerica is pleased to recognize retired Marine Sebastian Ploszaj as this year's winner of the William M. Usdane Award.

The Usdane Award recognizes an AbilityOne Program employee with a significant disability who has exhibited outstanding achievement and exceptional character.

Ploszaj suffered traumatic brain injury and other complications following an IED attack in Iraq. After being medically retired from the Marines, he earned his undergraduate degree and an IT certification, which led him to his current position as quality assurance analyst at Global Connections to Employment. Ploszaj has helped establish a wounded warrior training program to enable more veterans with disabilities to find jobs at GCE. He also advocates for veterans with disabilities on the Hill. (Read more about Ploszaj.)

Ploszaj said he was honored to receive the award and is grateful for the camaraderie and support he enjoys at GCE, a nonprofit member of the SourceAmerica network.

"We work as a team," Ploszaj said. "We work together. If one person has a problem, we help you out. You don't feel like you're by yourself."

Each year, SourceAmerica honors men, women, nonprofits, businesses and governmental entities that work to support its mission of creating jobs for people with disabilities. The SourceAmerica network of more than 1,200 nonprofits employed nearly 115,000 people with disabilities in 2015.

"All of our award winners this year embody the spirit of our mission: creating meaningful employment opportunities for people with disabilities," said SourceAmerica CEO Steve Soroka. "Each of these men and women is an inspiring example for the rest of us. I applaud their talent, work and conviction."

Ploszaj will be recognized at the SourceAmerica National Training and Achievement Conference April 25-27 at National Harbor, Maryland.

For more information, visit SourceAmerica's annual awards page.