On June 16, the Fairfax-Lee Chapter of the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) held its annual Scholarship Awards Luncheon at the Hilton Springfield.

Twenty-one deserving applicants received $20,000 in cash scholarships ranging from $500 to $2,000.

A total of 29 applications were received from students with a wide range of interests and scholastic achievement.

Areas of intended study include ROTC, veterinary medicine, nursing, speech and language pathology, physical education, engineering, business, law, and theater.

The recipients are:

William Akridge

Jonathan Albus

Kelsey Anderson

Caroline Austin

Gillian Barth

Grace Barth

Hannah Bauman

Mikayla Dukes

Kylie Hayes

Blair Hobbs

Charles Hogeboom

Rosalie Horton

Jana Jedrych

Amanda Kelling

James Magee

Hope Mesngon

Tina Pearce

Sydney Salter

Sarah Simon

Donna Voelkel

Christian Westbrook

Special guests at the event included retired Command Sgt. Maj. Douglas Gibbens, president, 2nd Region, AUSA, Donald Tison, senior fellow, AUSA, and Ron Putman, PAL (Peduzzi and Associates LTD.) The guest speaker for the event was Sgt. Maj. Samuel B. Gitchell, Army National Guard G1.

Gitchell spoke to the audience of students and supporting family members of the importance and relationship between education, training, and learning.

In conjunction with the Scholarship Awards Luncheon, the Fairfax-Lee Chapter also conducted a general membership meeting and election of officers.

Elected to the office of president was retired Lt. Col. Ken Britt and to the office of first vice president, Kathy Callahan.

Prior to the election, Britt served on the Board of Directors as VP for individual membership. Callahan will continue to serve as the chairperson for the chapter’s Scholarship Committee.

Lastly, being only two days after the Army’s 242nd Birthday, the chapter helped celebrate with an Army birthday cake.

John Hodges, the outgoing chapter president, along with Tison, Gitchell, Britt, and Johnson concluded the luncheon with the ceremonial cutting of the cake.