My semester was about over and it was time to plan for the next semester. I had talked to a few friends about tips to receive additional financial aid and scholarships. I had decided that I really needed to obtain a scholarship if I wanted to pursue a bachelor’s degree, which is what most positions I was vying for required.
I did a Google search for “military spouse scholarships” and found a link regarding an organization called “ThanksUSA.” I thought it was rather odd that I had never heard of ThanksUSA, as I am always scouring the internet for information to provide military spouses. The concept of ThanksUSA was thought up by two sisters, Rachel and Kelsi Okun, who were 8 and 10 years old at the time.
These two watched the obstacles and hardships their neighbor’s family endured, after his father returned from Baghdad severely injured by an IED. ThanksUSA was created and their mission was to give the gift of education to military spouses and dependents.
I read all of the criteria to apply for the scholarship, which included “demonstrated leadership and participation in school, church and community activities,” and realized that this was a scholarship I was eligible for. The ThanksUSA scholarship I applied for was a $2,500 scholarship for NOVA. I was so hopeful that this might be the scholarship I receive!
The next semester of college had come and gone. I always take the summer semester off, as the kids were out of school and I wanted to spend time with them. I was given the opportunity to intern part time at the Law Office of Michael Kevin Murphy. This position was an opportunity for me to sharpen my skills gained from college and to also learn new ideas and concepts.
I was very excited to take on this new endeavor and could not be more grateful for the opportunity, as my employer was a Vietnam and Korean War veteran, who embraced and understood my military lifestyle.
As I was driving home from the law firm one day, I received a telephone call. The person on the other line began his side of the conversation with, “CONGRATULATIONS! I am calling from…”and I began to immediately dismiss him as some sort of telephone scammer. I listened to him tell me about the organization he was calling from, as I had about a 45-minute drive home, and he informed me that I had been awarded a full undergraduate scholarship.
I stopped him and asked him where he was calling from again, as it had been months since I had applied for any scholarships. He explained that he was calling from an organization called ThanksUSA and that I had been awarded a full undergraduate scholarship to Kaplan University.
I was very puzzled and confused, as I had applied for a small scholarship to NOVA, so I could finish my associate’s degree. Still rather confused and unsure of what exactly was unfolding, I told the very patient gentleman that, “I don’t want to seem ungrateful but there are a lot of telephone scams right now. Can you please send me something in writing or an email so I can research what you’re explaining and then I’ll get back to you?” He replied he would send me an email and would get back in touch with me.
A few hours later, I received an email from none other than ThanksUSA. I began to read the email and was in a state of disbelief. I never win anything. I went to Las Vegas and didn’t even play a penny slot! I Googled ThanksUSA and reread about the organization and the different scholarships they offered. I grabbed my notebook that I scribble all my notes in and saw information about a scholarship for ThanksUSA.
