WASHINGTON, June 13, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Imagine America Foundation proudly bestowed its annual LDRSHIP Awards on eleven members of the U.S. military. A special video presentation will take place at the Association of Private Sector Colleges and Universities Annual Convention & Exposition in Las Vegas on June 22. The awards provide $2,500 in cash grants to be directed toward college tuition for active duty, reservist, honorably discharged or retired veterans of the military.
Honoring those who have distinguished themselves in the U.S. military and in the classroom is a tradition for the Imagine America Foundation. Since 2004, the Foundation that is the largest scholarship provider to career college institutions has annually honored military personnel with LDRSHIP Awards. More than $350,000 has been awarded to exceptional military students attending career colleges nationwide. In that time, the awards have provided financial assistance to young men and women returning from military service in Iraq and Afghanistan, reservists, honorably discharged, retired and active duty military personnel.
The Imagine America Foundation honored the following students with the 2012 LDRSHIP Award:
- Chad Cagle, United States Army: Grantham University – Kansas City, Mo.
- Shera Diaz, United States Army: InTellitec Colleges – Colorado Springs, Co.
- Somatie Dowell, United States Navy: Art Institute of Virginia Beach – Virginia Beach, Va.
- Cory Gifford, United States Navy: Harrison College – Elkhart, In.
- Nichole Gladkowski, United States Air Force: Colorado Technical University – Greenwood Village, Co.
- Jill Guilfoyle, United States Army: Daymar College – Bellevue, Ky.
- Rudy Hernandez, United States Air Force: Westwood College – Los Angeles – Los Angeles, Ca.
- Stephen Long, United States Army: NASCAR Technical Institute – Mooresville, NC
- Janet Nielsen, United States Army: YTI Career Institute – Mechanicsburg, Pa.
- Daniel Pennington, United States Army: Lincoln College of Technology – Indianapolis, In.
- Miguel Urbina, United States Army: San Joaquin Valley College – Rancho Cucamonga, Ca.
"Bravery and commitment are qualities that have applied to so many areas of these individuals' lives, not just serving our country, but in choosing the path to a quality education," said Robert L. Martin, president of the Imagine America Foundation. "These students deserve this honor – and so much more."
The 2012 LDRSHIP Awards were sponsored by Ambassador College Bookstores and the 21st Century Workforce Fund.
To receive the honor, applicants must attend a career college participating in the Imagine America Scholarship and Award Programs and have a cumulative 3.5 or higher grade point average and at least a 95% attendance record.
About the Imagine America Foundation
The Imagine America Foundation (IAF), established in 1982, is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing scholarships for education, research and training support for the career college sector. Since its inception, the Foundation has provided over $75 million in scholarship and award support for graduating high school seniors, adult learners and U.S. military personnel attending career colleges nationwide through its award-winning Imagine America® programs. The Foundation also publishes vital research publications for the higher education sector, honors achievement in career education and offers faculty development training. For more information about the Imagine America Foundation's programs, please visit www.imagine-america.org.
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