HAVELOCK, N.C. - The Cherry Point Enlisted Spouses Club awarded three scholarships to Marine Corps spouses and family members July 18.
Rosalee Bobadilla received a $500 scholarship; Elizabeth Welborne and Kierra Fleming each received $250 scholarships.
The club's scholarship program is funded solely by donations and fundraisers and provides military spouses the opportunity to further advance their education. Scholarships are available to both active duty and reserve component spouses.
Most military spouses share similar experiences, and their intimate knowledge of each other’s situation drives them to come together and help one another, said Nikki Cook, the scholarship chair for the Cherry Point ESC.
“You need to have people who can understand what you’re going through and can empathize with your situation,” said Cook. “If you have a friend who knows exactly what you’re going through, it helps.”
Receiving a scholarship is a rewarding experience and a welcome contribution to one’s education, especially when made possible by a group of peers, said Bobadilla, a scholarship recipient in pursuit of an associate degree.
“It feels really good,” said Bobadilla. “You see a lot of
scholarships out there and you think you’ll never get it, but when you actually receive one, it’s an honor. I’m proud of myself and I know my family is proud of me too. It makes me feel good to know that there are spouses out there helping other spouses.”
Members of the ESC and recipients of the scholarships encourage other military spouses to get out and get involved in the programs available to them.
“This is the first military-sponsored scholarship that I’ve applied for, but in the future I will definitely seek out more,” said Bobadilla. “I would definitely encourage others to apply.”
The ESC started providing scholarships to spouses in 1998. The Cherry Point chapter hopes to continue that tradition and expand its membership, said Cook.
“We like to have new faces and new ideas,” said Cook. “We would like to keep this program going indefinitely. We will always be here for the spouses.”
For more information regarding eligibility and how to apply for a scholarship visit http://www.cherrypointesc.org/scholarship-information.html