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Delivering on its commitment to assist soldiers in taking an academic step into their future by filling in voids left by the Post-9/11 GI bill, the national nonprofit organization SoldierStrong announced the 2019 recipients of its scholarship initiative, SoldierScholar, today.

“SoldierStrong realized early on that education offers some of the best opportunities to members of the military once they return home from abroad,” said SoldierStrong co-founder Chris Meek. “SoldierStrong understands that there are, and always will be, more steps forward that need to be taken in making education more accessible for soldiers. It is an honor to support soldiers in such endeavors.”

The annual scholarships are available to veterans who fought in the recent War on Terror.

SoldierStrong, which also provides revolutionary medical technologies to help injured veterans lead full lives, launched SoldierScholar in 2012 and has awarded more than $500,000 since then. This year’s recipients include:

Philip DeTurck, Global Policy and Security, Georgetown University
Philip DeTurck graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy as a naval officer with a bachelor’s degree in international relations and a minor in Chinese. DeTurck was selected as the first-ever student to work as an intelligence analyst for the Defense Attaché Office at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing. DeTurck hopes to continue in a specialized study of global politics and security at Georgetown University.

Jessica Evans, Civil Engineering Technology, Old Dominion University
Jessica Evans served in the Army National Guard from 2009 to 2015 and served in Iraq in 2011 as a part of Operation New Dawn. Evans is working on a dual degree and is expected to graduate from Old Dominion University with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering technology in 2020.

Daniel Cordial, Public Administration, Syracuse University
Daniel Cordial served in the U.S. Army from 2006-2011, earning the rank of sergeant. Cordial mobilized twice in Operation Iraqi Freedom and again in Operation New Dawn. He is currently enrolled in the Executive Master of Public Administration program at Syracuse University with a focus on international and national security policy and is expected to graduate in May 2020.

Edrena Roberts, Applied Intelligence, Georgetown University
Edrena Roberts has served in the U.S. Army for 16 years. Roberts has a bachelor’s degree in international relations and was accepted into Georgetown University’s Master of Professional Studies in Applied Intelligence. With her degree from Georgetown, Roberts hopes to someday work for the FBI as an analyst.

“Receiving a SoldierScholar scholarship gives me incredible peace of mind,” Roberts said. “This scholarship will help me accomplish my short-term goal of obtaining my graduate degree, help me continue to serve my country with the FBI and will offer me financial stability in the years to come. Education is critical to success and this scholarship helps me make my success a reality.”

SoldierStrong donated an Indego Therapy exoskeleton to VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System today.

Since SoldierStrong’s inception following the tragic events of 9/11, the Stamford, Conn.-based group has donated more than $3 million of medical devices to help injured veterans. Today’s donation is the organization’s 22nd exoskeleton donation, including the 18th one to the VA system.

Martin Kilbane, Supervisor of Rehabilitation Therapies Spinal Cord Injury/Disorders Center, noted that the system currently has a different exoskeleton model in use.

“The donation of this type of device allows us to have more device options for our Veterans who meet the medical clearance and FDA criteria to allow for robotic assisted ambulation post spinal cord injury,” Kilbane said. “When a patient takes his or her first steps. In some instances, the ability to ambulate in these devices can be life changing.”

SoldierStrong co-founder Chris Meek said the organization’s goal to help as many veterans as possible was a significant factor in the local donation.

“VA Northeast Ohio provides comprehensive, seamless health care for more than 112,000 veterans across its region, including too many who have experienced spinal injuries either in service to our country or another situation,” Meek said. “Our donations to other medical centers across the country have shown us that early rehabilitation therapy with an exoskeleton can make a lasting difference in the physical, mental and emotional recovery for patients,” Meek said. “We’re thrilled to help make that difference here, too.”

The Therapy+ software suite, included with each Indego Therapy device, incorporates control algorithms based on proven motor learning principles and allows for an individualized, patient-centric training approach where the device responds to a patient’s active contribution and assists in gait only when necessary. Additionally, therapists have a range of customizable settings within the Therapy+ software suite which allow them to further tailor the behavior of the system to specific impairment and gait needs.

“Our veterans deserve the very best medical care available, and we are incredibly proud to see SoldierStrong and the VA Northeast Ohio Health Care System adding Indego to the range of treatment options accessible to their patients,” Achilleas Dorotheou, head of the human motion and control business unit for Parker Hannifin, in a release from the company. “Combined with our Therapy+ software suite, Indego is becoming an integral tool for clinicians to provide individualized gait therapy sessions to stroke and spinal cord injury patients, and providing a new level of independence.”