Fort Belvoir, Va. (May 30, 2014) - The Belvoir Enlisted Spouses' Club and Belvoir Officers' Spouses' Club awarded nearly $25,000 in scholarships to 11 military spouses and military children during the 2014 Scholarship Awards Reception May 21 at the USO Warrior and Family Center.
"We're here to honor some of our best and brightest military spouses and children," said Jennifer Wilder, BOSC Scholarship Chair. "Tonight we are thrilled that we will award a total of 14 educational scholarships totaling nearly $25,000."
All of the recipients were chosen not just for their academic records, but for their contributions to their local communities, Wilder added.
"This year's program was very competitive, with the clubs receiving more than 50 applications," she said. "Collectively, our judges spent more than 30 hours carefully reviewing those candidates and identifying those who not only have strong academic potential, but who are also committing to making a difference in their communities and in the world."
In addition to the BESC and BOSC scholarships, First Command Financial Planning and Belvoir Federal Credit Union also presented scholarships.
The scholarship reception is the result of a full year's fundraising for both of the clubs, and it is very rewarding to see those efforts helping military children and spouses, said BESC President Barbara Zimmerman.
"To know that together we have been able to impact such a fantastic representation of our nation's military children in such a positive way is heartwarming and gratifying to say the least," she said. "You have faced adversity and met it head on. As you move on to your next big chapter, remember that your military Family will always be here to support you."
In addition to dealing with several military moves (100 between them), this year's scholarship recipients have also shown that they care about their communities, said Monica Scrum, BOSC president.
"Be it through your involvement in athletics, Eagle Scouts, Girl Scouts, orchestra or volunteerism, you made a profound impact on our community. We are humbled to be able to help you to now go out and make a profound impact on the world," she said.
One recipient, Mercedes Alden, is a military spouse who is attending school while raising three children, and whose husband is currently deployed to Afghanistan.
"I'm just so excited and happy that I'm able to receive this scholarship," said Alden, who received $1,500 from the BOSC to help pursue a degree in marriage and family counseling. "Even though I'm 33 years old and I had doubts … it's never too late to follow your dreams and to sharpen your skills."
Alden, who is originally from the Dominican Republic, said she hopes her educational goals will inspire her son, 7, and twin daughters, 5.
"I want to be an example for them," she said.
Sameika Graham, 17, a senior at Mount Vernon High School, received awards from both the BESC and BOSC for her academic record, and for volunteering with local libraries, Fort Belvoir Elementary School and the Mount Vernon Parent Teacher Student Association, to name a few.
"Getting awarded for doing something I enjoy kind of just makes it more beneficial," she said.
She plans to put the scholarships toward studying biology/pre-med at James Madison University this fall, while playing volleyball for the club team.
"It will obviously pay for a lot of my tuition and boarding, and because I want to play club volleyball in the fall, the more scholarships I can get, then I can pay for extracurricular activities I want to do," she said.
For the first time, BOSC also presented the Drury Family Memorial Scholarship, created in memory of Navy Lt. j.g. Patrick Drury, the son of former BOSC president Lois Drury and her husband, Chip. Patrick Drury was a 2011 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis and was in flight training when he was killed in a car accident in June 2013. Since all funds for the scholarship were raised by BOSC members and the Drury family, the scholarship was designated for a BOSC member's child.
During the ceremony, Chip Drury presented the scholarship to this year's recipient, Matthew Nicklas, a South County High School senior, and said he believed his son would be proud of Nicklas' accomplishments.
"Patrick was joyful, no matter what he did. He was the kindest person that I ever knew. He took care of those around him before he ever worried about himself," Drury said. "Matt … he would be proud to have another guy like you following in his footsteps."
At the end of the ceremony, U.S. Army Garrison Fort Belvoir Commander Col. Gregory D. Gadson and Command Sgt. Maj. Scott Guillory congratulated the recipients, and thanked the club members and sponsors for making the reception possible.
Gadson encouraged the scholars to continue to give back.
"You're education is not finite. It's not about a destination. It's about your continuing to grow, your continuing contributions to your community," he said.
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