SOLDIERSTRONG ANNOUNCES ANNUAL SOLDIERSCHOLAR RECIPIENTS FOR 2023

Delivering on its commitment to help military veterans take a significant academic step forward, the national nonprofit SoldierStrong today announced the recipients of its annual scholarship initiative, SoldierScholar.

“Military service and education have long served as two of many pathways to prepare the next generation of great American leaders. Providing the very best of our nation with access to education when they return from service is the least we can do in honor of their sacrifices,” said SoldierStrong co-founder and chairman Chris Meek. “The Post-9/11 GI Bill seeks to do just that but, unfortunately, has funding gaps that can add extra burdens for veterans pursuing higher education degrees. SoldierStrong’s mission of easing the transition from military to civilian life is why we’re proud to offer financial assistance to help fill those gaps so that more veterans can reap the full academic benefits they deserve.”

The cost of textbooks, classroom fees, transportation, technology, tutoring and a number of other essentials are among expenses that the GI Bill has historically not covered. SoldierScholar was created in 2012 to alleviate those additional costs.

SoldierScholar scholarships are available to veterans who fought in the recent War on Terror, which includes Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Dawn. SoldierStrong, which primarily provides revolutionary medical technologies to Veterans Affairs medical centers across the country to help injured veterans lead full lives, has awarded more than $500,000 in SoldierScholar scholarships since its inception.

Past SoldierScholar scholarship recipients have gone on to work at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), in civilian positions at the Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Division of the U.S. Air Force, for various members of Congress and as policy advisors at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, among other esteemed professions. Recipients include:

MICHELLE HUMPHREYS

Michelle Humphreys, Old Dominion University – Bachelor Degree in Civil Engineering

Michelle Humphreys, a civil engineering major, grew up in a close-knit family in Passaic, New Jersey. Humphreys, the first in her family to pursue a STEM degree, joined the Navy right out of high school. She had already been thinking of joining the military when she met with a recruiter. Humphreys served as a nuclear electrician’s mate aboard the USS George Washington. She transitioned into civilian life in 2020 after six years of service. After graduation, Humphreys hopes to find a meaningful engineering position.

KATHLEEN HIGGINS

Kathleen Higgins, Old Dominion University – Bachelor Degree in Mechanical Engineering

Kathleen Higgins joined the military right after high school. As a first-generation student, she was encouraged to take the military pathway by her mother and father – both Army veterans. In the Navy, Higgins worked as an aviation structural safety equipment mechanic on different F-18 models. Higgins left the Navy in 2020 after eight years of service. She took a position at Boeing before returning to school. It was an easy transition to the program at Old Dominion where Higgins is currently a mechanical engineering major with a focus on aerospace engineering. After she finishes her degree, Higgins hopes to obtain a position as an aerospace engineer.

Catherine Manning Image

Catherine Manning, Georgetown University – Bachelor Degree in Political Science

Catherine Manning has been a U.S. Air Force Academy cadet since 2019. Most recently she served as a Squad Support Flight Commander where she led 28 cadets in planning morale-raising events, organized squadron support functions and directly mentored six cadets. Her personal hobbies include reading, playing the piano and flute, and exercising including running, volleyball and tennis.

Marriler Wilson Image

Marriler Wilson, Syracuse University – Master’s Degree in Public Administration and International Relations

Marriler Wilson is a United States Air Force National Guard veteran and former Mayor Placard Enforcement Detail for the New York Police Department. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in public administration and international relations at Syracuse University with an expected 2025 graduation. Her law enforcement and security background, combined with community outreach and advocacy experience, gives her a unique perspective on the intersectionality of these two fields. She is interested in pursuing a career in diplomatic conflict resolution, where she can use her skills and expertise to promote understanding between individuals and communities.

Jose A. Baeza-Ruiz image

Jose A. Baeza-Ruiz, Syracuse University – Bachelor Degree in Business Analytics

Jose A. Baeza-Ruiz, U.S. Marine Corps veteran, served as an intelligence analyst. His military experiences ranged from training ground level to bigger picture analysis and detailed research in a developed environment. He is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in business analytics at Syracuse University with an expected graduation date of May 2024. He looks forward to opportunities that will allow him to expand the technical abilities in the field of business and data analytics.

One Veteran’s Journey From Afghanistan To The Paralympics

Martha is joined by retired Army Sergeant Dan Rose, as he discusses his upbringing in Wisconsin, what drew him to military service, and talks about his time in Afghanistan where he was paralyzed by a roadside improvised explosive device.

Dan explains the recovery process, how the injury impacted his life, and how the Soldier Strong organization helped him and other wounded veterans secure the technology to return to civilian life.

View the full write up on radio.foxnews.com.

National Suicide Prevention Month: Join SoldierStrong’s Efforts to Prevent Veteran Suicide

SoldierStrong's BraveMind virtual reality system to treat post-traumatic stress (PTS)

National Suicide Prevention Month: Join SoldierStrong’s Efforts to Prevent Veteran Suicide

By Chris Meek

September is National Suicide Prevention Month. Part of our mission at SoldierStrong is to deliver treatment to combat the devastating effects of post-traumatic stress (PTS) through the donation of BraveMind virtual reality systems to Veterans Affairs medical facilities across the country. 

Because of the vast support from generous patriots from across the country, SoldierStrong has donated 30 BraveMind systems since the fall of 2019. However, there is still a long list of VA facilities nationwide that are waiting to have immediate access to this revolutionary technology. 

Here is what we know: When National Suicide Prevention Month began twenty years ago the death by suicide rate was 30% lower than it is today. Even with a continued reduction in the stigma surrounding seeking mental health treatment and the allocation of $222 million by Congress to the VA to prevent suicide in the past decade, there are still 17 veteran suicides each day. Even just one veteran suicide a day is far too many.  

The BraveMind system, developed by the University of Southern California’s Institute for Creative Technologies, safely enables veterans to relive and deconstruct traumatic memories from their service in a virtual reality headset while talking through the nuances of those memories with a licensed therapist in an evidence-based method known as prolonged-exposure therapy. The BraveMind system is so effective that 65% of veterans who have used it have significantly reduced or eliminated their PTS symptoms! 

We’ve heard that veterans across the country have requested the BraveMind technology but are unable to access it through their local VA. That is why this month we have set a goal to raise $15,000 in order to donate another BraveMind system to a VA facility in desperate need. We can’t ensure that more veterans have access to this life-changing and more importantly life-saving technology without the support of our fellow Americans. 

Here is what you are supporting when you contribute to our efforts to deploy the BraveMind system: 

“I just talked about something that I’ve avoided and never talked about for ten years. Each time a little weight came off my shoulders. I was able to face my family and friends and be a bit more productive in society.”

This was the testimonial provided to us by Marine Sergeant Chris Merkle several years ago. Today, Chris has completed his Doctorate in Clinical Psychology and will begin providing therapy to fellow veterans experiencing PTS at a VA facility in Southern California. 

This is the type of transform that you can be a part of when you support SoldierStrong. Whether you can give $10, $25, $50, $100 or more, your support is critical to our efforts to deliver this type of revolutionary medical technology. We invite you to help SoldierStrong make a life-changing difference in the lives of America’s veterans this National Suicide Prevention Month.

Biloxi VA introduces virtual reality therapy for veterans

Article by Brooke Parker | Link to full article

The Biloxi VA has partnered with SoldierStrong to create a new form of therapy.

Veterans will be able to work through trauma using virtual reality. This works as a form of exposure therapy that limits the body’s trauma response and is often used for post-traumatic stress disorder.

Veterans will work with trained psychologists who have the ability to place them at a scene, such as driving in Iraq. They’ll be hearing, seeing, and feeling the sensations of that day.

The treatment starts small and gradually increases until a patient no longer has a trauma response. Clinical Psychologist Todd Adamson said, “To really immerse that individual so they’re much less likely to avoid, gives them an opportunity to develop a different relationship to the past, to those traumatic experiences, and one where they’re in control, and the trauma is not controlling them.”

Innovation Specialist Elizabeth Williams said, “You know, veterans end up sharing things with their clinicians that they might not have otherwise shared with them, all due to the fact that they’re immersed in this virtual environment that really brings back memories that might not otherwise been present in their session with their clinicians.”

Psychologists are being trained at the moment and veterans will work with them to decide if virtual reality is right for them.

Soldierstrong Awards Soldierscholar Scholarship to Navy Seal in Georgetown University Master’s Program

A U.S. Navy SEAL who will begin his studies this fall to earn a master’s degree from Georgetown University is the latest recipient of a SoldierScholar scholarship, Chris Meek, co-founder and chairman of the national nonprofit SoldierStrong, said today.

“Brian Fischer has gone far beyond the call of duty in his service to our country. He has endured the harshest conditions and most harrowing experiences in defense of our freedom,” Meek said. “He has had several friends who were severely injured and served with those who paid the ultimate sacrifice as he put his own life on the line. I can’t imagine anyone more worthy of receiving a SoldierScholar scholarship as he prepares to take his next steps forward in life.”

Meek noted that the Post-9/11 GI Bill honors the sacrifices of today’s veterans but it has funding gaps – such as failing to cover the cost of textbooks, classroom fees, transportation, technology, tutoring and similar expenses — that create added financial burdens on veterans pursuing higher education degrees. SoldierStrong, which primarily provides revolutionary medical technologies to Veterans Affairs medical centers across the country to help injured veterans lead full lives, has also awarded more than $500,000 through SoldierScholar since 2012.

Brian K. Fischer
Brian Fisher Navy SEAL

Fischer is a Special Operations Chief responsible for the selection of future SEAL officer candidates, who joined the U.S. Navy at age 19 in 2006. He served as a hospital corpsman before completing the SEAL course in 2011. He also graduated from the Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL, Army Special Operations Combat Medic, Naval Special Warfare (NSW) Sniper and NSW Master Training Specialist schools. His service includes combat deployments in Iraq, Afghanistan and a non-combat deployment to the Indo-Pacom region.

He has earned a bachelor of science degree from Georgetown University in leadership for emergency action and disaster response. He will enter Georgetown’s master of finance degree program as he prepares for his eventual retirement from the military.

“I’m truly grateful for the bridge SoldierStrong provides to service members. For me, it will provide a great deal of financial relief as I continue to serve while my wife, Brittany, and I raise our three children,” Fischer said.

To learn more about the SoldierScholar initiative or to donate, please visit https://www.soldierstrong.org/scholarship.