Stonington, Conn. — The Coast Guard Foundation, a non-profit organization committed to the education and welfare of all Coast Guard members and their families, announced today that in 2017 it has awarded a record 166 new scholarships. Combined with 10 multi-year scholarship recipients and three Fallen Heroes Scholars, the Foundation is currently assisting 179 students with a half-million dollars in support this year. In the 27 years of this program, the Coast Guard Foundation has paid out more than $4.7 million to more than 780 college-aged young adults to help the families of Coast Guard members achieve their goals of higher education.
“The brave men and women of the Coast Guard are the epitome of dedication and commitment,” said Susan Ludwig, president, Coast Guard Foundation. “Their children have again and again demonstrated that they too hold themselves to that same high standard. We are proud to give back to these young individuals by investing in their future. We believe that it is an investment that will benefit these families and ultimately our country.”
Highlights of this year’s scholarship awards:
Rachel Fox is entering her final year at Duke University with a major in neuroscience and minor in global health. Her father, Jeffry Fox, retired in 2003 after 20 years in the Coast Guard and has since served as a civilian search and rescue controller at Sector Hampton Roads in Virginia. He was one of 18 survivors from the 1978 Coast Guard Cutter Cuyahoga collision and sinking when he was 19 years old.
Dawson Baker graduated high school with a 4.0 GPA and will study economics at Troy University. Baker expressed his commitment to helping others through his volunteer work and plans to study law in graduate school so he may play an active role in developing public policy. His father, Chief Marine Science Technician Bruce Baker, retired in 2015 and was part of the Coast Guard’s Atlantic Strike Team based in New Jersey.
Brynn Doughty graduated high school with a 4.1 GPA and will attend Florida Institute of Technology to study ocean engineering. She is a talented and accomplished musician and athlete and received the Harvard Book Award for her academic and extracurricular achievements. Doughty’s mother, Senior Chief Petty Officer Heather Doughty, has been a member of the United States Coast Guard Band since 1999.
Sidney Jones is pursuing a double major in biology and pre-medicine at Louisiana State University. Jones graduated in the top five percent of her graduating class with a 4.0 GPA. As a member of her high school debate team, Jones is a regional and state champion and national qualifier. Her father, Master Chief Petty Officer Heath Jones, has served in the Coast Guard for 22 years and is currently based at Coast Guard Sector Hampton Roads.
For more on the Coast Guard Foundation’s scholarship program, the Fallen Heroes Fund and the support given to Coast Guard members and their families, view this video: https://youtu.be/i5HMW-zyO6s.
To learn more about the Coast Guard Foundation, or to help support its work, visit www.coastguardfoundation.org or call (860) 535-0786.
