Photo By Staff Sgt. Takita Lawery | Allison Beswick, senior at Abilene High School, receives a check for $1,000 Sergeant...... read more read more
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An Abilene High School student was the recipient of the Sergeant Audie Murphy Club scholarship award during the Combined Scholarship Fund Award ceremony May 4 on Fort Riley’s Cavalry Parade Field.
The annual scholarship fund is made possible by donations from organizations on Fort Riley and the local community. The fund provides military dependents of the greater Fort Riley community with funds for continued college education.
Staff Sgt. Christopher D. Hartley, 1st Battalion, 5th Field Artillery, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, was on hand to present Allison Beswick, a senior at Abilene High School, with a $1,000 Sergeant Audie Murphy scholarship.
Five anonymous judges scored the scholarship applications based on academics, community service, leadership, work and volunteer experience, honors and awards, and an essay question: what is the single most positive influence the military has had on you, and how does that set you apart from your peers?
“Receiving this scholarship is amazing,” said Breswick, who plans to attend Johnson County Community College and later start her own cosmetology business. “It’s so cool that people come together and are supportive of people going to college.”
According to his biography on the Audie L. Murphy Memorial website, Audie Murphy, who was rejected for enlistment by the Marines and Air Force in the early 1940s because of his small stature, is often regarded as the greatest combat Soldier.
Murphy was also one of the most decorated U.S. Soldiers of World War II, earning every available award for valor: the Medal of Honor, Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star and Legion of Merit for his actions during multiple World War II battles in Europe. To preserve his legacy, the Sergeant Audie Murphy Club was formed in 1986. Since its inception, the noncommissioned officer organization recognizes Soldiers who exemplify quality leadership and help Soldiers to the best of their ability.
“The club represents the long lineage of the professionalism and expertise from the NCO corps as a whole,” said Hartley, former SAMC president. “Being a part of the Sergeant Audie Murphy Club has greatly assisted me in becoming a better leader.”
According to Hartley, to optimize the club’s community contributions, they elected to hold fundraising events throughout a quarter and donate the funds to a single charity. “What better way of giving back to the community?” Hartley said.
The club hosted a 5K race last June to raise funds that directly contributed to the awarding of the scholarship.
“I was heavily interested in finding ways to improve and/or assist Soldiers and their dependents lives here on Fort Riley,” Hartley said. “Working with the club and having an impact on the surrounding community fills us with a deep sense of pride.”
| Date Taken: | 05.04.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 05.12.2017 12:54 |
| Story ID: | 233659 |
| Location: | FORT RILEY, KS, US |
| Hometown: | ABILENE, KS, US |
| Web Views: | 202 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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