The Association of the United States Army’s (AUSA) Fort Rucker–Wiregrass Chapter presented $22,000 in scholarships to military family members in the Wiregrass area recently.

Eleven people, including high school seniors, undergraduate students and graduate students, were given $2,000 each to go toward any higher educational costs.

Matthew Doyle, one of the recipients, said that he plans to use the scholarship to help pay for his undergraduate degree at Troy University.

“It’s going to help me in completing my goals and my dreams,” Doyle said.

Adding, “I’ve always wanted to work in computer science, and it’s more than I imagined that I’d be getting.”

The scholarship recipients are chosen based on academic achievement, personal achievement and community involvement, and they must be a dependent child or spouse of an active, retired or deceased military member.

The money for scholarships is gathered by the AUSA Fort Rucker–Wiregrass Chapter from local donors.

The $2,000 scholarships this year are increased by $1,250 over last year.

AUSA Fort Rucker–Wiregrass Chapter vice president for scholarships, Patrick Laidlaw, said that he feels the scholarships are one way the military gives back to the community.

“That partnership between the community and the student is reinforced in the effort to do this,” Laidlaw said.

Chapter fundraiser Ingrid Strange says that finding donors can be difficult, but it’s worth it to help those who need it.

“If we don’t help the youth, where are going to go to,” Strange asked. “Where will it bring us?”

Application for the 2019 scholarships should be ready and available on the AUSA Fort Rucker–Wiregrass Chapter website by January 2019.

If anyone would like to be a donor for next year’s scholarships, contact Strange at (334) 598-9005.

(Editor’s note: This story is re-printed with permission from the Southeast Sun.)