Military Education Scholarship Winners
VA Mortgage Center.com is proud to announce the five winners of our third semi-annual Military Education Scholarship Program. The five individuals we have selected all displayed remarkable strengths in numerous areas and wrote impressive essays about how their military experiences will prepare them for their careers. Congratulations to Sarah Pflugradt, Matthew Young, Matt Lewis, Sean Brooks and Marshall Hughes! We thank you for serving our country proudly, and we hope that you are successful in your educational endeavors.
The Military Education Scholarship Program was put on and funded solely by the joint efforts of the employees of VA Mortgage Center.com. We support all of the servicemen and women that give so much for our country, and we enjoy working with you every day. Thank you.
Winner Profiles
Sarah Pflugradt - Air Force Veteran
Sarah cannot say enough about the positive opportunities that the Air Force has given her. She enlisted in the field of Aerospace Physiology and can happily say that she had the best job in the Air Force. With the encouragement of many officers above her, she entered Air Force ROTC at the end of her enlistment and gained a commission as an Intelligence Officer. She separated to start a family and is now pursuing her second Bachelor's Degree in Dietetics at Eastern Michigan University.
The Air Force taught her how to be an effective leader, but more importantly, she learned that being a leader and mentoring others was a rewarding experience. "My goal is to once again serve the Air Force community as a Dietitian, and to help keep Airmen and their families healthy and strong. I also look forward to watching my family and my career grow in the years to come."
Matthew Young - U.S. Army
Matthew entered the Military immediately after high school in search of a challenge that would push him both mentally and physically. The demands of being in the Army and serving two tours in Iraq were daunting and more than he expected, but in that environment, he excelled. He was promoted very quickly and put into leadership positions ahead of his peers and, as a result of his proficiency, was selected to become a sniper.
After almost five years in the Military, he chose to leave the service to earn his college degree. He is currently attending Michigan State University, where he is pursuing a degree in Marketing from the Eli Broad College of Business. After that, he plans to earn his Masters Degree in Marketing and enter the corporate world.
Matt Lewis - Air Force ROTC
Matt Lewis is currently attending the University of North Dakota at Grand Forks. He is a history major and is enrolled in the Air Force ROTC program. He has chosen history as his major because the study of history helps us to learn from the past so that we can affect the future.
The most important lesson he has learned from being in the Air Force ROTC program at UND is that "serving with compassion and understanding, I must be willing to lead, regardless of whether those who follow understand and accept my decisions. It is with great anticipation that I look forward to taking my place as a career officer in the United States Air Force after graduation. I hope to assist my country as part of the elite group of fighter pilots who protect and serve."
Sean Brooks - Son of Patrick Brooks - U.S. Army Command Sergeant Major
Patrick wrote his essay for his son Sean, who inspires him to continue to give his all. He outlined some of the terrific accomplishments he has been able to achieve through Military service. He is extremely proud to serve in the Army, but is most proud of what his son Sean has grown to be. Since 2002, Patrick has spent only one full year at home with his family. He feels it is important for service members to acknowledge those that encourage and motivate them.
While Patrick was deployed to both Iraq and Afghanistan, his son Sean remained focused on his academics and held the role as the man of the house. Patrick believes that the work ethics derived from the Military can have a positive effect on service members as well as family members. He hopes his son Sean's pursuit of higher education will be as fulfilling as his career in the Military has been. Patrick feels the Military has instilled in him the importance of education, and is pleased it has been passed on to his son.
Marshall Hughes
Marshall's Military career has only been at the collegiate level thus far. However, he has learned a lot from his ROTC unit at Pacific Lutheran University. As far as college plans go, he expects to produce a Master's certificate within the next three years. He is currently enjoying the field of philosophy. He is also determined to be a paramedic on the off-chance that he leaves the service.
As Marshall wrote, "Higher education is a means to a stronger and more focused mind. In turn, the educated help to educate as well as develop the situation around them." He feels that sincerity is the only necessary key to a successful future for the individual and the community. "Higher education and Selfless Service are the means that benefit us."
Past Winners
You may also be interested in checking out the winners from our November 2007 contest as well as the winners from our first contest, held in May 2007.
More About VAMortgageCenter.com
VA Mortgage Center.com is a leading provider of VA Loans and other VA lending products in association with the VA Home Loan Program. Each year, our VA Specialists work with thousands of new and existing VA Benefit-eligible homeowners to secure the home loan solutions that are right for them.
As mentioned, our Scholarship Program is 100% funded by the employees of our company. We hope our Scholarship Program helps make a difference in the lives of our customers and the service member community through the pursuit of higher education.
Brought to you by the employees of VA MortgageCenter.com
