Tuition assistance (TA), the Montgomery GI Bill, or the Post-9/11 GI Bill are some of the ways Sailors in the Navy can pay for formal education. However, Sailors aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) have another option available to them.
The ship’s Mustang Association awarded two Sailors and two dependents each with $500 scholarships for their education needs in a Mustang scholarship award presentation, May 17. The awardees were Aviation Maintenance Administrationman 1st Class Travon Cuffee, Fire Controlman 2nd Skyler Goldsby, Natasha Chambers, and Faith Lovell.
Mustangs are prior enlisted Sailors that received their commission through various programs.
“The purpose of the Mustang Association giving out the scholarships is helping our crew,” said Lt. Cmdr. Carlos Veasley, from Jacksonville, Alabama, the Mustang Association president. “For us [Mustangs], education is extremely important because we worked our way to this level and education was a big deal.”
The Mustang Association wanted to use what abilities they have to help a few Sailors advance their education.
“In a lot of cases, for most of the current Mustang Association members, they didn’t have anybody in the senior ranks that gave them any type of funding or any type of resource like this to get their education,” said Veasley. “As an organization, what we choose to do is take the resources that we get from doing fundraisers and so forth, and put that back into our enlisted Sailors because one day all these Mustangs have to be replaced; we can’t stay in forever.”
The Mustang Association used posters throughout the floating accommodation facility and email notifications to help spread the word about the scholarship.
“I saw this as a good opportunity to get some extra money for college,” said Fire Controlman 2nd Class Skyler Goldsby, from Jacksonville, Florida, assigned to the combat systems department. “It’s good that I did apply because TA funding is low right now, so I’m glad that I took advantage of it. Right now, my associate [degree] is paid for, just finishing up my last class, but this will go towards my bachelor’s in sports medicine.”
With over 2,500 Sailors aboard George Washington, the Mustang Association had nine applicants for the scholarship, but the hard work seems to have paid off.
“It feels great,” said Veasley. “It took a lot of work actually to put in for this scholarship, so it feels really good to see those folks that applied, and we were able to help them. They can take this money and use it towards books, laptops or whatever. It feels good, and I appreciate those guys for applying.”
Goldsby hopes to obtain his bachelor’s degree while in the Navy, and then pursue commissioning through Officer Candidate School.
“As long as I’m in [the Navy], I’m going to continue my education and keep getting certifications so when I do get out, I can start my second career,” said Goldsby.
This was the first time the George Washington Mustang Association offered scholarships to Sailors and their dependents, but with their devotion to improving through education, this will certainly not be the last.
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