The non-profit Coast Guard Foundation has presented a record 177 new scholarships in 2018. In addition to three multi-year scholarships and two Fallen Heroes Scholarships, the foundation currently assists 182 students with $500,000 in support this year. In the 28 years of the program, the Coast Guard Foundation has paid out more than $5.1 million to more than 960 college-aged students and their families.

“The children of the brave men and women of the Coast Guard have shown dedication to their studies and communities,” said Susan Ludwig, president of the Coast Guard Foundation, in a statement. “The high standards they’ve set for themselves are evident in the work they’ve done. We consider these scholarships not only an investment in the personal ambitions of the next generation, but also the future of our country.”

Of this year’s recipients, 43 percent are STEM majors, 46 percent are children of active duty enlisted personnel and 54 percent have parents who are retired Coast Guard members.

The recipients include Victoria Clendaniel, a biology major at Emmanuel College. She is vice president of her school’s Support our Troops club. She facilitated the creation of a morale program that supports the members of the locally based Coast Guard Cutter Tahoma.

Kelly Milbrandt is another recipient from Clearwater, Fla. She is the daughter of Master Chief Petty Officer John Milbrandt. Kelly graduated seventh in her class, is a national All-Star cheerleading champion and has logged more than 400 volunteer hours at a local nonprofit. She will study environmental engineering and the University of Florida.

A third recipient, Sam Arnold, is an Eagle Scout who earned several environmental awards. He will attend Lafayette College to study economics.

For more on the Coast Guard Foundation’s scholarship program, the Fallen Heroes Fund and the support given to Coast Guard members and their families, please view this video:
https://youtu.be/i5HMW-zyO6s