It's that time of year again - your chance to shine! 2018 marks the eighteenth year of our Scholarship Program, and I am pleased to tell you that the program has never been stronger, thanks to your unrelenting and active support. Over the past seventeen years, your collective giving has yielded $96,500 in scholarships, helping some 48 students achieve their educational goals. Awards have been presented to some 18 NROTC midshipmen, seven Seaman to Admiral (STA-21) Program Officer Candidates, ten Marines in the Marine Enlisted Commissioning Education Program (MECEP), and thirteen descendants of Association members. In 2017, your generous giving enabled us to award 5 scholarships, including 3 to descendants of our members. This year, I trust your unwavering support will enable us to continue or perhaps even exceed that number of awards. If you have children, grandchildren, or great grandchildren in college, make them aware of this financial opportunity and encourage them to apply. For more information on descendant scholarship eligibility, see the scholarship section of the Association's website (www.usslittlerock.org.)

Sadly, our former Vice-President of Scholarships, Robert M. Baker LCDR Ret., passed, in June 2017, after a long illness. I am humbled and honored to serve with the other members of our scholarship committee to continue scholarship support to our outstanding descendant, NROTC cadets and MECEP applicants. I do want to publicly thank Ray Cutter, and Art Tilley for stepping forward and volunteering to make presentations in New York and Virginia on your behalf. Since most of you will never experience first-hand the pride one feels when presenting these awards, I invite and encourage each of you to instead provide the financial support that makes the scholarships possible. Clearly, the program cannot succeed without you - indeed, it requires an annual fresh input of $10,000 to sustain five annual awards. Please send in your tax-deductible donation - in whatever amount is comfortable for you. Checks should be made out to "USS Little Rock Association Scholarship Fund" and you may use the enclosed envelope to submit your donation. If you are viewing this letter on our website and wish to make a donation, please mail your check to: Frank Berglas - Treasurer 63 Barnes Rd, Stamford, CT 06902-1201. You can be confident that your donation will make a difference for some very deserving students. I offer these comments received in 2017:

Bottom line - your involvement is critical to our success. Invest now in our future generations. I thank each of you in advance for being a part of this very important outreach which provides vital financial support for members of our Navy, Marine Corps, and Little Rock families. Please give generously!

Sincerely,

Donald H. Elliott
Vice President, Scholarships