Students, spouses recognized for excellence

Maj. Gen. Vincent Brooks, 1st Inf. Div. and Fort Riley commanding general, far left, poses for a picture with Fort Riley Combined Scholarship award winners during an award ceremony for students and spouses April 26 at the 1st Inf. Div. headquarters. Awardees from left to right, are Jennifer Cuington, Amanda Lax, Kylie Martin, Kiara Ocasio, Makenna Kelly, Joshua Cox and Elizabeth Petite. Dr. Briana Nelson-Goff, director of the K-State Institute for Health and Security of Military Families, far right, also awarded scholarships to high school students attending K-State University next year.

By Katherine Rosario
1st Inf. Div. Post

More than $30,000 in scholarships were awarded to high school and college students as well as spouses during the Fort Riley Combined Scholarship Board award ceremony April 26 at the 1st Infantry Division Headquarters.
About 40 people applied for the scholarships that were awarded based on a 3.7 or higher grade point average and volunteer activities. Each person also had to turn in a 500-word essay on the responsibilities of an educated person.
The money is collected throughout the year from organizations on post like the thrift shop, Officers’ and Civilians’ Spouses’ Club, the Historical and Archaeological Society and the Enlisted Spouses’ Club, along with private donors, said Sarah Leonard, chairperson for the scholarship board.
“It’s always a great privilege to be able to congratulate people who have achieved academic excellence, but have done even more,” said Maj. Gen. Vincent Brooks, 1st Infantry Division and Fort Riley commanding general.
Striving for higher education and volunteering in the community is a commitment to a lifetime of learning, Brooks said.
“Everything in life is expensive, and the cost of education continues to be something that challenges a number of our fellow citizens, but with scholarships that can certainly help,” he said. “It goes a long way to lessening to burden that one would have to carry and eliminates some of the challenges to be able to continue education.”
To achieve academic excellence, especially in the military where students often move to new schools and have to start over, is an achievement in itself, Brooks said.
“To be able to achieve this in the type of environment and the sorts of challenges that we have in our military lifestyle, it takes the team, it takes the Family unit to help you achieve what you have accomplished,” he told the students.
Elizabeth Petite, a senior at Junction City High School, received a scholarship for excellence in high school, as well as a scholarship from Kansas State University for her freshman year.
“I’ve been working hard and have done more than 160 hours of community service through the hospital and dance team at school,” she said.
Her $3,000 will go straight toward her college fund, she said.
“It’s a big deal to be attending college, and it’s great that people recognize the students that go above and beyond for their community,” Petite said.
Petite said she plans to study public relations and mass communication.
Jennifer Cuington, spouse of Lawrence Cuington, 1st Battalion, 7th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st Inf. Div., received a scholarship for her volunteer work with her husband’s Family readiness group and hours spent volunteering at a hospital in Topeka.
Her scholarship will go directly to her nursing school, she said.
“When people are recognized for the work they do, it keeps them motivated,” she said, adding she was amazed at all the high school students who received awards.
Joshua Cox, a senior at Wakefield High School, said he is using his award money for college housing at K-State.
“I plan to join ROTC and study history,” he said, adding his ultimate goal is to become an Airborne Ranger.
Cox attended a leadership seminar last summer and is the vice president of his student body and captain of the football team.
The K-State scholarships were awarded through the K-State Institute for Health and Security of Military Families.
Two years ago, K-State started the partnership to supplement the Fort Riley scholarship program to support students who would be attending K-State, said Dr. Briana Nelson-Goff, director of the institute.
“Anything that we can do to start that K-State and Fort Riley partnership and continue it I am all for,” she said.