From the Scholarships for Military Children Program 

One of the military community’s premier benefits has become even more valuable to 700 college and high school students. The annual Scholarships for Military Children Program winners have been announced and the Honor Roll is impressive. Approximately 4,000 students applied for the scholarships at commissary locations worldwide. All of the recipients are listed at www.militaryscholar.org, the official website of the program.

Elizabeth Zachman, of Montclair, Virginia, is a recipient of a $2,000 college scholarship awarded at Fort Myer. Fort Myer is one of nearly 250 commissaries operated worldwide by the Defense Commissary Agency. Elizabeth’s parents are William Zachman and Catherine Zachman. Elizabeth is enrolled, or plans to enroll, at the University of Virginia. Her school and community activities include: Swing Dance Club, Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship, Theological Horizons, Chamber Orchestra and Physics Honor Society.

The Scholarships for Military Children Program was initiated in 2000 to award scholarships to graduating high school seniors or college-enrolled students. The scholarship program is open to qualified sons and daughters of members of the U.S. Armed Services including active duty, retirees, guard/reserves, as well as children of deceased military personnel. Applications are turned in through commissaries.

Applicants for the 2016 program were required to maintain a minimum 3.0 grade-point average, participate in voluntary school and community activities, demonstrate leadership qualities, and write an essay on: “Obesity is among the leading causes of military ineligibility among people 17 to 24, affecting nearly 30 percent of men and women in this age group. Specifically, how would you address this problem and what are your proposed solutions? What would be the challenges with implementing your plan?”

Manufacturers and organizations that do business with the commissary system funded the scholarships with money ordinarily used for various other contests and promotions. Elizabeth’s scholarship at Fort Myer was funded through the generosity of Kahlert Foundation Inc.

The Fisher House Foundation administers the Scholarships for Military Children Program through scholarship managers, a professional scholarship management services organization. Fisher House is known for building the military comfort homes near military medical facilities.

As in prior years’ programs, the level of competition continues to be very keen. “The cumulative GPA remains in the 3.7 to 3.9 range,” said Bernard T. Cote, president of scholarship managers. “As in all prior years, the caliber of the applicants to the Scholarships for Military Children Program continues to be a step above those students who apply to the many other scholarship programs we administer.”