Nurse Scholarship
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Each January we award a special scholarship for a deserving student, who is related to a veteran and is currently and or will be attending college to become a nurse. It's a $5000 scholarship and the money for the scholarship has been donated by our members. New applications for the 2027 scholarship will be accepted in the fall 2026.
2026 Winner
Scholarship winner Madison Brinkman was award the $500 Nurse scholarship by our scholarship committee and Board Members.
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Cumming Chapter 1030 of the Vietnam Veterans of America awarded a new scholarship honoring the memory of member Thoams G. Kirby on January 17th to a third-year nursing student and graduate of North Forsyth High School.
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Madison Brinkman studying nursing at the Cumming Campus of the University of North Georgia is the recipient of the first annual nursing scholarship awarded to honor Thomas Kirby
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Kirby was a Navy Corpsman in Vietnam and that is where he began a lifelong respect and admiration for nurses who he recognized were responsible for saving numerous American military personnel during the Vietnam War.
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At a packed house at the Bennett Conference room at Northside Hospital Forsyth, Ms. Brinkman was presented a five-thousand-dollar check and a certificate with photos of Kirby as a young sailor and as the driving force behind much of the chapters work on behalf of veterans and communities needy.
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According to chapter President Joe Donner, "When Tom passed last year, our membership knew immediately that a scholarship for nursing students in his name was a project our group needed to take on. I am proud to point out that through the generosity of our members, the nurse scholarship award was fully funded within our organization."
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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. Application will be accepted Spring 2026.
2025 Winners
L-R Ella Clem North Forsyth HS, Medeline Holder, West Forsyth HS and Andrew Garrard, North Forsyth HS. Not pictured: Sabrina Lafferty, South Forsyth HS and Tristan Cohen, Forsyth Central HS.
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Cumming Chapter 1030 of the Vietnam Veterans of America hosted the winners of the tenth annual scholarship competition on June 3rd at eh Cumming National Armory.
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Five recent high school graduates were each presented five-thousand dollar checks and a certificate with the names and photo of a Georgia serviceman killed in action in Vietnam after who their scholarship was awarded.
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The 2025 awardees are:
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Madeline Holder of West Forsyth High School, who will study biology at the University of Georga was awarded a scholarship in memory of US Navy Lieutenant Orlando Pender of Atlanta.
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Sabria Lafferty of South Forsyth High School, hope to become a diplomat and will begin her college studies at Duke University. Her scholarship was given to honor the service and sacrifice of US Army Sergeant John Holt Parham III of Atlanta.
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Andrew Garrard of North Forsyth High School will study Finance at the University of North Georgia. His scholarship was awarded in honor of US Army Warrant Officer George Thomas Condrey of Atlanta.
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Tristan Cohen of Forsyth Central High School will seek a degree in Business from the University of Georgia. He received a scholarship presented in the name of US Army Private First Class Claude McCan Jr of Alpharetta.
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Ella Clem of North Forsyth High School will study Biology at Georgia Tech on her way to becoming a physician. Her scholarship was to honor the service and sacrifice of US Army Corporal Harry Vaughan of Alpharetta.
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The scholarship committee was able to locate Vaughn's brothers, Andy and Glen, who attended the ceremony. According to Chapter President Ed Schoemaker, "our membership is committed to assisting the Community's young people with the cost of their education while simultaneously honoring the memory of those Georgians who made the ultimate sacrifice in the Vietnam War.
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In the last ten years, the chapter has helped to ease the burden of a college education for 26 Forsyth County high school graduates.
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