FORT LEAVENWORTH, Kansas — The Fort Leavenworth Spouses’ Club awarded $24,000 — split equally between scholarships and grants — as well as recognized volunteers and installed new board members during the organization’s “End of the Yellow Brick Road”-themed awards and recognition banquet May 14, 2025, at the Frontier Conference Center at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
Karly Gadell, outgoing FLSC president, said the ceremony is a reflection of what can be accomplished when people come together with purpose, passion and persistence.
“As I reflect on the past two years, I am overwhelmed with pride and gratitude. When I stepped into this role, I carried with me three guiding goals: to grow our membership, and we did; to foster meaningful relationships within our Fort Leavenworth community and beyond, we did that, too; and to ensure that our club remained financially strong so that we could continue investing in our grants and scholarships program — the programs that represent the very heart of mission.”
Gadell said FLSC’s strength can’t be credited to one person, but rather was because of everyone in the room.
“The friendships that we’ve built, the bridges that we formed with our local community, and the support that we’ve given to the students, organizations and families — all of it stems from the spirit of service that lies within this club,” she said.
Scholarships
Scholarship Chairperson Laura Brown said FLSC received an impressive number of applications, and that the judges, who blindly determined which applicants in would receive scholarships, told her they had their work cut out for them.
“The applicants were not only academically strong, but deeply involved in their communities, athletics and leadership,” Brown said. “Choosing recipients was not an easy task, and that speaks volumes about the caliber of the young people we are here to celebrate tonight.”
Scholarships, ranging from $500 to $1,500, were awarded to 11 recipients.
Scholarships for graduating high school seniors were awarded to Sydney Eakin, Morgan Miller, Danielle Pendleton, Lyndiana Pierce and Maria Segulin. Continuing undergraduate scholarships were awarded to Conner Durham, Melanie Libby, Jennifer Honorato and Madeleine Morgado. A vocational school/certification program/continuing education units scholarship was awarded to Madelyn Ward, and a spouse education scholarship went to Suzanne Perez.
Grants
Gadell and Community Grants Chairperson Paula Skandis distributed grants to 16 community organizations, including the Alliance Against Family Violence to buy business attire for domestic violence survivors seeking employment; American Legion Post #411 to send high school students to the Cadet Law Enforcement Academy in Salina, Kansas; First Judicial District CASA Association to provide first aid and CPR certification for CASA staff and volunteers; Fort Leavenworth Lancers Swim Association to purchase mobile storage lockers to hold belongings when the team travels; Girl Scout Troop 5403 to take the troop members primitive camping; Leavenworth County Council on Aging to provide incontinence supplies and meals for residents using the Meals on Wheels program; Leavenworth High School PTA for the rental of the Riverfront Community Center for Project Graduation; Leavenworth Interfaith Community of Hope to acquire bedding, washers and dryers for the night shelter; Leavenworth JROTC Rifle Team for new equipment; Operation Homefront for the creation and distribution of school supply backpacks for E1-E6 families at Fort Leavenworth; Operation International for handbook printing and venue rental for a meet-and-greet event; Organization for Spouses and Sponsors for events and the purchase of International Loan Closet supplies; Stronghold Food Pantry for inventory for the pantry’s Women’s Wellness Closet; Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors for room and board expenses for family camps; Trail Life USA Troop KS-0001 for new tents; and the Women's Community Y Child Development Center for a container garden.
The club’s scholarships and community grants program is supported with fundraising events conducted by FLSC throughout the year. FLSC also received a community assistance grant from the Fort Leavenworth Thrift Shop to help support the program.
Volunteers
Since there was no formal postwide volunteer ceremony this year, FLSC recognized members for their volunteer contributions to Fort Leavenworth, providing them with President’s Volunteer Service Award certificates and pins for varying levels of volunteer service based on the number of hours reported in the Volunteer Management Information System, and medallions for gold-level volunteers Gadell, outgoing FLSC Second Vice President Vince Afaisen and Girl Scout Troop 5403 Co-Leader Chelsey Gorgoglione, who each contributed at least 500 hours to FLSC and other post organizations over the past year.
During the event, FLSC also recognized several members for their contributions with “Wizard of Oz”-themed awards, farewelled departing board members, and installed and welcomed new board members.
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