Thirty college students studying STEM-related fields each received a $5,000 scholarship from the TowerCares Foundation. More than half of this year’s winners have parents who are affiliated with the Department of Defense, or serve in the U.S. Military.

TowerCares Foundation scholarship winner Marc DiGregorio has a special reason to be thankful for being selected as one of this year’s scholarship recipients.

“I was thrilled to find out that I was a recipient of the TowerCares scholarship,” he says. “My grandfather is my inspiration for my career aspirations. He passed away this past summer after battling leukemia so this scholarship holds special meaning as I like to believe he had a hand in it. I am thankful for [the TowerCares Foundation’s] investment in me to help reach my professional goals of solving real world problems by providing practical solutions through engineering. It gives me great pride to share that I finished my spring semester at James Madison University with President’s Honors.”

Mr. DiGregorio is one of 30 college students who each received a $5,000 scholarship from the TowerCares Foundation for the 2023-24 school year.

The annual scholarship program starts in April and is open to all current high school seniors and college freshmen, sophomores and juniors who are studying STEM or Foreign Language Linguistics majors. Winners are selected by an independent judging

organization based upon academic performance, leadership and participation in school/community activities, work experience and career/educational goals and objectives.

Additional consideration is given to children/dependents of active duty military and Veterans from all branches of the Armed Forces, including Reserve and Guard units.

More than half of this year’s winners have parents who are affiliated with the Department of Defense or who currently serve or have served in the U.S. Military. Scholarship winner Daniel Horvath said: “[Through] my mechanical engineering studies at George Mason University, I hope to bring the skills and experiences I gain to a future career in the military and later as a high school teacher. My parents are both U.S. Army Veterans, and many of my best teachers were Veterans too. Veterans have been some of the most inspiring and encouraging people in my life, so I greatly appreciate the Foundation’s commitment to those who have served our nation.”

Since 2018, TowerCares has awarded $360,000 in scholarships to college students pursuing majors in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields or Foreign Language Linguistics. This year, the Foundation expanded the program from 15 to 30 scholarships.

“Every year, I am so impressed by these young men and women, not just for their achievements but for their vision for the future and desire to make the world a better place,” says TowerCares Foundation President Rick Stafford. “The cost of higher education is expensive, and we are thrilled to double the number of scholarships awarded this year to relieve some of the financial burden for even more college students pursuing STEM-related degrees and their families.”

Says scholarship winner Arisa Chue, who is studying Computer Science & Programming at Stanford University: “This scholarship holds immense significance in my life…Your belief in my potential has ignited a renewed determination within me. I am committed to

excelling in my studies and using this opportunity to create a positive impact for young girls who are interested in STEM education and careers.”

For a full list of the 2023-2024 TowerCares Foundation College Scholarship Program winners, please visit https://www.towercaresfoundation.org/scholarship-program.