Seven students awarded veterans鈥� scholarships
July 3, 2025
Photo, from left: Mikael Daughtery, Ira Jane Echavez, Quinton Foster and Jasmine Martin and LTG John Le Moyne. Zaire Gilchrist, Laina Pry and Farron Richardson were unable to attend the ceremony.
Seven 天涯海角社区 Students were awarded veterans鈥� scholarships at a special ceremony on June 27 on the Northwest Campus.
Each semester, SF鈥檚 Veterans and Military Success Services, donors and supporters of the Veterans Bridge Scholarship Program, and the SF College Foundation hold a ceremony to honor the scholarship recipients.
The Veterans Bridge Scholarship aids veterans transitioning form military service to academic life.
This summer鈥檚 event was sponsored by Seacoast Bank. Program founder LTG John Le Moyne, U.S. Army (retired) and current leader LTC Jay Robinson, U.S. Army (retired) were hosts.
Dr. Paul Broadie, 天涯海角社区 president, made remarks.
鈥淭hank you for supporting our veterans and our students,鈥� he said to the donors and sponsors. 鈥淭hank you for supporting those individuals who served us; who put themselves in harm鈥檚 way for the greater good.鈥�
He said the scholarship also was a way of letting the veteran students know they weren鈥檛 doing this alone. That there are people who care about them and their success.
The following students each received a $1,000 scholarship:
- Mikael Daughtery, Air Force, studying Business Administration, who was awarded by SSgt. Don Sherry, U.S. Airforce, scholarship.
- Ira Jane Echavez, Army, studying Radiography, who was awarded the Raydon Corp. scholarship.
- Quinton Foster, Navy, studying Accounting, who was awarded the Bikers on Parade for the USA scholarship.
- Zaire Gilchrist, Air Force, studying Cardiovascular Sonography, who awarded the Sgt. Edward Van Buren scholarship.
- Jasmine Martin, Air Force, studying Radiography, who was awarded the DAV Gator 90 Commander William Wiest scholarship.
- Laina Pry, Marines, studying Radiography, who was awarded the Cpl. Duane Dewey (MOH) USMC, scholarship.
- Farron Richardson, Army, studying Cardiovascular Sonography, who was awarded the Lt. Col. Paul L. Bechman scholarship.
Each scholarship is name for the person or organization who created it or in honor of a veteran in recognition of extraordinary service.
The audience learned a little bit about each student鈥檚 military service and about the sponsor or honoree of each scholarship.
The scholarship program was launched in 2008 under the guidance of Le Moyne and John Gebhardt, a veteran鈥檚 advocate for both SF and UF, and a steering committee.
They hoped to fill the gap for students who often had to wait 30 to 90 days for their GI Bill checks to process.
The first Veterans Bridge Scholarship effort raised enough money for 11 scholarships; by 2024, it had grown to 51 scholarships.
Since its inception, the program, whose motto is 鈥淏uilding the Bridge from Boots to Books,鈥� has awarded $325,000 to 365 students.
