USC Aiken veteran and military students receive over $31,000 in scholarships


The recipients will be honored at this year's Veteran and Military Student Success Scholarship Reception on Wednesday, Nov. 1. 

Eighteen military service members and veterans at the University of South Carolina Aiken will receive $31,250 in scholarship support from the Aiken-Augusta Wounded Warrior Golf Classic (AAWWCGC) to continue their education.

The non-profit organization provides a portion of the proceeds from the annual charity golf tournament to "Bridge the Gap" scholarships for military and veteran students at USC Aiken, Aiken Tech, and the Camp Gravatt Retreat. The AAWWCGC started the Bridge the Gap Scholarship program in 2014.

"This was a natural fit," said Robert Murphy, director of the Office of Veteran and Military Student Success at USC Aiken. "About seven or eight years ago the AAWWCGC Board of Directors wanted to know how they could best help, and I said, 'Well why not develop a Bridge the Gap Scholarship, a scholarship that bridges the gap between a student's GI Bill® benefits and cost of living expenses.' Since then, it's grown, and this is the biggest year ever."

The 14th Annual Aiken-Augusta Wounded Warrior Charity Golf Classic was held this past May and has provided $179,000 in scholarship funds to USC Aiken to date. In total, the organization has given $324,783 to veterans and military members throughout the Central Savannah River Area (CSRA).

One of the recipients is Adam Boese, a Senior at USC Aiken majoring in applied computer science with a concentration in cybersecurity. Boese has a 4.0 grade point average (GPA) and works in the university's Center for Veteran and Military Student Success, and as an analyst in the student-run Security Operations Center.

"I applied to a lot of schools in the area but the one that really reached out and helped me through the journey of moving back to the United States was USC Aiken," Boese said.

Before joining USC Aiken, Boese spent several years as a defense contractor in the Middle East, primarily in Iraq and Afghanistan. He then moved to Southeast Asia and spent time traveling with his wife. After more than 10 years abroad, Boese is now focused on completing his degree.

"When you're an adult veteran going back to school most of us have families and a house to worry about which can be expensive," he explained. "So, getting any kind of scholarship money is a huge deal."

The recipients will be honored at this year's Veteran and Military Student Success Scholarship Reception on Wednesday, Nov. 1.

Scholarship applicants must be a veteran or service member and have a minimum GPA of 2.5. Applicants are then evaluated on their military service, involvement on campus, and transition plan. "The students are in the driver's seat," Murphy said. "If the student has a demonstrated drive and a will to graduate, the AAWWCGC organization will back them."

Rita Malloy, treasurer of the non-profit organization, said the goal is for scholarship honorees to complete their degree and continue supporting active military members and veterans. "Some of these recipients have participated in our golf tournament day, which has been very helpful to us."

The Aiken- Augusta Wounded Warrior Charity Golf Classic was founded 14 years ago by Jack Morrison, who attended West Point, and the late Walter Lamb, a graduate of the Naval Academy. The organization is not affiliated with the National Wounded Warrior Project and is staffed entirely by volunteers.

Any military or veteran students interested in applying for this scholarship can email Mr. Murphy at rmurphy@usca.edu

For more information, contact Angela Saxon, angela.saxon@usca.edu