Scholarship Awards
Our largest donation is for awarding scholarships to high school seniors that are continuing their education by going to either college or a trade school after graduating from high school. Each applicant is required to write a 500-word essay on “Why Freedom isn’t Free.” It’s always difficult for the committee to determine the best essays from the many received. If you are interested in submitting a 500-word essay, please click the link below for the form:
2024 Scholarship Winners
(L-R) Scholarship recipients Anna Skrip, Colin Kowalczyk, Andrew Radtke, Annalise Leitner and Natalie Knight. Not pictured is Alexa Boada.
Cumming Georgia Chapter 1030 of the Vietnam Veterans of America honored the service and sacrifice of six Georgians Killed-in-Action in the Vietnam war on June 4th with scholarships presented in their memory to Forsyth County High School Graduates.
The Graduating seniors received $5,000 checks and a certificate which included a photo of the individual who made the ultimate sacrifice in Vietnam.
Those receiving the scholarships are:
Anna Skrip of North Forsyth High School, whose scholarship is in memory of U.S. Army Sgt. Michael Nations of Dalton, Georgia.
Colin Kowalczyk of North Forsyth High School, whose scholarship was given in memory of U.S. Army Major Charles Kelly of Warm Springs, Georgia.
Andrew Radtke of Lambert High School, whose scholarship honors the service and sacrifice of U.S. Army Specialist 4 Gary Cruse of Murray County.
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Annalise Leitner of Forsyth Central High School, whose scholarship was named in memory of U.S. Navy Hospital Corpsman Robert Lewis Brown of East Point, Georgia.
Natalie Knight of Forsyth Central High School was presented a scholarship remembering the service and sacrifice of U.S. Army Specialist George Young of Gainesville, Georgia.
Alexa Boada of Lambert High School, whose scholarship honors the memory of U.S. Marine Corps Lance Corporal Richard Hodges of Atlanta, Georgia.
According to Chapter 1030 President Ed Shoemaker, “Our members feel a sense of obligation to remember and honor the sacrifice of our fallen comrades from the Vietnam War and we believe this scholarship program helps to accomplish that.” Shoemaker also said the scholarships serve to educate young people about both the war and the service members who served and sacrificed so much in Vietnam.
The families of Sgt. Michael Nations, Specialist Gary Cruse and Lance Corporal Richard Hodges attended the ceremony at the National Guard Armory in Cumming.
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2023 Scholarship Winners
Vietnam vets award local grads with scholarships
By Sabrina Kerns
A local chapter of the Vietnam Veterans of America recently held its eighth annual scholarships awards ceremony, recognizing six Forsyth County high school graduates with a $2,500 scholarship each.
Cumming Chapter 1030 of the VVA stated each of these scholarships was given in memory of a Georgian killed in combat during the Vietnam War. Along with the scholarships, each student at the ceremony was given a photo of the individual for whom their scholarship was named.
Families of four of the six individuals memorialized in the scholarships also attended the ceremony, honoring their relatives “who made the ultimate sacrifice,” according to a press release.
Following the celebration, VVA leaders said one of the recipients, Olivia Edge, also located the gravesite of the fallen soldier her scholarship was named for, U.S. Army SP4 Joseph Champion, at Marietta National Cemetery to personally pay her respects.
“We had an excellent group of applicants this year,” said Gary Goyette, chapter president. “Those chosen are students who excel scholastically, participate in school activities and volunteer to make the community a better place. Through their essays, these young adults demonstrate a deep appreciation for and knowledge about the price of freedom.”
The six scholarship recipients are:
• Samantha Shoenfeld, Forsyth Central High School
• Gabe St. George, homeschool
• Olivia Edge, Denmark High School
• Grace Humphries, Forsyth Central High School
• Lane Cassidy, Lambert High School
• Ava Miller, Forsyth Central High School Those fallen honored through the scholarships include:
• U.S. Air Force Sgt. Larry Richard Todd of Chamblee
• U.S. Army PFC Joel Ray Kelly of Columbus
• U.S. Army SP4 Joseph Champion of Decatur
• U.S. Army SP4 Donald Ray Johnston of Columbus
• U.S. Marine Corps Major John “Jack” Gallagher of Savannah
• U.S. Army Cpl. Herman Fred Ivey of Lenox
2022 Scholarship Winners
Cumming Chapter 1030 of the Vietnam Veterans of America hosted its seventh annual scholarship award program and awarded $2,500 scholarships to six Forsyth County High School graduates.
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Each recipient was presented a folder containing a certificate naming the scholarship in memory of a Georgian killed in action in the Vietnam War. The folder also includes a photo of the individual who made the ultimate sacrifice.
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The 2022 winners are:
Samantha Mehler, North Forsyth HS, whose scholarship was awarded in the name of USAF Capt. James Hoag of East Point, Ga. Ms. Mehler will study to be a physician assistant at he State University of New York at Morrisville.
Allison Norris, Forsyth Central HS, whose scholarship honors the memory of US Army Specialist 4th Class Russell Jones of Woodstock, Ga. Ms. Norris will be attending Wake Forest University to study Pre-Law.
Evan Skrip, North Forsyth HS, awarded a scholarship to honor the service and sacrifice of US Army 2nd Lt. William Cawthorne of Marietta, Ga. Mr. Skrip is heading to Kennesaw State University to study Music Education.
Cassidee Jackson, North Forsyth HS, was awarded a scholarship in memory of US Army lst LT. Merrill Dale Reich, Atlanta, GA. Ms. Jackson will attend the University of Pennsylvania for International Studies and Business.
Dakota Jacks, Forsyth County HS, whose scholarship honors the memory and sacrifice of US Army PFC Jimmie Lee Plumley of Ellijay, Ga. Dakota heads to the University of North Florida where he will study Coastal and Marine Biology.
Liam Cassidy, Lambert HS, who was given a scholarship in memory of the service and sacrifice of US Marine Corps Cpl. Troy David Payne of Smyrna, GA. Mr. Cassidy will attend Clemson University to study Computer Science.
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The scholarship committee was able to locate the families of Corporal Payne and PFC Plumley who attended the June 7th ceremony.
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Chapter 1030 President Gary Goyette said he could not be more pleased with the scholastic achievements of the students selected this year. "It is our hope that through this program we can, in a small way, keep alive in the minds of these your adults the memory of the fallen who sacrificed so much, he added."
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Editors: pictured in the attached photo (L-R) front row: Evan Skrip, Samantha Mehler, Allison Norris, Liam Cassidy, and Cassidee Jackson. Not pictured is Dakota Jacks. Back Row: Scholarship Committee members Tom Senior, Hank Hankerson and Ed Shoemaker. Not pictured Jim Cole, Steve Masak and Marty Farrell.
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