Service Members, Spouses, and Caregivers Receive Education
Scholarships in Veterans Day Tribute
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
On this Veterans Day, Colorado
Technical University (CTU) is proud to announce its 2016 Wounded
Warrior Scholarship recipients. Fifty active duty military service
members, veterans, military spouses, and – for the first time this year
– caregivers of wounded warriors are honored for their service with a
new opportunity to pursue higher education.
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CTU President Andrew Hurst Addresses Wounded Warrior Recipients (Photo: Business Wire)
“We’re proud to welcome this incoming cohort of Wounded Warrior
Scholarship recipients to our university,” said Andrew H. Hurst,
president of Colorado Technical University. “Our selection committee was
humbled by our applicant’s personal stories and moved by their
incredible triumphs in the face of adversity.”
Developed in 2008 in partnership with the Yellow Ribbon Fund, the
Wounded Warrior Scholarship covers all costs such as tuition and fees,
books, and even a new laptop computer for recipients for any CTU degree
program. A selection board consisting of representatives from the
academic, business, and military communities reviewed each application
and performed a careful assessment to select the final recipients.
This year, CTU expanded the scholarship criteria to award scholarships
to non-medical caregivers – individuals who are vital in a wounded
warrior’s care and recovery. “Listening to our military community, we
learned that those who care for injured service members often lack
access to flexible and convenient higher education,” added President
Hurst. “We strive to give back and honor these caregivers for their role
in serving America’s brave soldiers.”
Scholarship Impact
Over the past seven years, the CTU Wounded Warrior Scholarship program
has awarded $4.6 million in education assistance to 350 individuals. “It
gives me such great feeling to witness the dedication and devotion that
CTU has for the military community,” says Martin Pate, III, retired
Command Sergeant Major and longest serving CTU Wounded Warrior
Scholarship Selection Committee member. “The scholarship has blossomed
from 25 to 50 scholarships for service members, as well as extended to
caregivers. Every scholarship that CTU awards and every graduate from
CTU makes our world a better place to live.”
For wounded service members like TSgt Todd Walls, Sr., a retired Air
Force veteran and two-time recipient of the Wounded Warrior Scholarship
(2013, 2015) from Washington, D.C., the scholarship has had a
life-changing impact on him and his family.
“CTU’s Wounded Warrior Scholarship has been a tremendous opportunity for
me to advance my knowledge base and my career,” said Walls. Since
receiving his graduate degree at CTU, Walls shared that his employer has
placed him on the fast track to a leadership role. “This (scholarship)
has been an injection of adrenaline in my career,” remarked Walls.
Honoring Caregivers
A 2016 recipient, Sonia Yulfo, is a caregiver to her father, a Sergeant
First Class in the Army. When her father was injured in battle, Yulfo
selflessly set aside her plans to finish her education to care for him.
Now, through the Wounded Warrior Scholarship program, Yulfo will pursue
her Bachelor’s degree at CTU and hopes to work with soldiers
transitioning from the military to civilian life upon graduation.
“I put my life on hold to take care of the person that I looked up to
most…the strongest, warm-hearted hero that was always there for someone
in need, especially his soldiers,” said Yulfo. “I’m honored to receive
the Wounded Warrior Scholarship and am proud to become a student at CTU.”
The 2016 Wounded Warrior Scholarship recipients will be honored in one
of two upcoming award ceremonies: one in November at Fort Carson in
Colorado Springs, CO and another in December in Bethesda, MD at the
Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Learn more about the
Wounded Warrior Scholarship and see a complete list of the 2016
recipients at http://www.coloradotech.edu/ww.
A Long-Standing Military Commitment
The Wounded Warrior Scholarship program is just one aspect of CTU’s
commitment to serve active duty military, veterans, and their families.
CTU provides an accredited college education that is flexible and
rewarding to service men and women. The university’s dedicated military
student advisors understand the unique needs of military and veteran
students, and work closely with them to begin or continue their
education from enrollment through the pursuit of their degree.
“Over the past 50 years, Colorado Technical University has demonstrated
a commitment to enabling service members to succeed in civilian life,”
said Michael Midura, U.S. Navy veteran, board member for the Council of
College and Military Educators (CCME), and Director of the Wounded
Warrior Scholarship program. “With our award-winning Virtual Campus,
mobile access, and two campuses in Colorado, CTU allows service members
who are deployed or relocated to take classes conveniently.”
CTU has been recognized by U.S. News and World Report in 2015 for
its online graduate computer information technology programs, online
criminal justice programs, and online bachelor’s degree programs.
Additionally, CTU has also been recognized by G.I. Jobs Magazine
from 2010-2015 as a military friendly school and as a top university serving
the educational needs of the Armed Forces by Military Advanced
Education & Transition from 2008-2015. Additionally CTU received
the Military Times’ Best for Vets distinction in 2013, 2014, and
2016, as well as Best for Vets Business Schools in 2015.
About Colorado Technical University
Founded in 1965, Colorado Technical University (CTU) provides higher
education to connect students to what matters most in reaching their
professional goals. CTU offers more than 100 undergraduate and graduate
programs taught by real-world faculty members who enrich the curriculum
with their industry experience and prepare students for today’s
challenges and the hard-hitting problems of tomorrow. CTU’s
personalized, online learning system allows students to control what,
where, when and how they learn. Students can also learn and connect on
campuses in multiple cities. With the help of faculty, industry
professionals and more than 85,000 graduates, CTU students can also grow
a powerful professional network to use their entire career. For more
information, please visit http://www.coloradotech.edu.
Colorado Technical University is accredited by The Higher Learning
Commission, http://www.hlcommission.org/.
CTU cannot guarantee employment or salary. Find employment rates,
financial obligations and other disclosures at http://www.coloradotech.edu/disclosures.
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Colorado Technical University
Melissa Balsan, (224) 293-5990
[email protected]
Source: Colorado Technical University