Since University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) teamed with the Blewitt Foundation to create the Pillars of Strength Scholarship program in 2013, a total of 83 caregivers of injured, ill or wounded military servicemembers have received full-tuition to attend UMGC. That includes 14 recipients—a record—in the 2024 class of scholars.
The program is distinctive for focusing on the spouses, family members and other volunteer caregivers who often must give up jobs and careers but receive little or no government support while caring for their loved ones.
One of the newest recipients, Vanessa Chism, and 2020 recipient Candace Laguna were in Annapolis with their spouses on August 6 representing the Elizabeth Dole Foundation as a Dole Fellows. Both were chosen for the program because of their leadership in the military and veteran caregiver community.
Dole Foundation officials, including former U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole, who served in the cabinets of two U.S. presidents, joined caregivers and their families at the state capitol to witness Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and other officials announce the state’s support for the Hidden Heroes campaign. Maryland is the 11th state to officially back the initiative started by the Dole Foundation.
The multi-year, multi-faceted campaign is turning the spotlight on the untold stories of military caregivers in order to find solutions for the challenges and long-term needs they face. The campaign encourages individuals, communities, businesses and civic, faith and government leaders to take action to support military caregivers in their communities.
“Military and veteran caregivers are just as much a part of the American story as those who put on the uniform. Maryland is proud to partner with the Elizabeth Dole Foundation to honor their service,” Moore said at the event. “We want our Hidden Heroes to know that Maryland sees you. We are committed to providing the resources you need to deliver the care our servicemembers and veterans deserve. Together, we will leave no one behind.”
UMGC supports Hidden Heroes and was represented at the event by Kelly Grooms, assistant director of veterans initiatives and outreach, and Nathan James, a military education coordinator.
UMGC has a long commitment to military veterans and their families and has been consistently ranked among the top schools in the Military Times “Best for Vets” rankings. In addition to the Pillars of Strength program, UMGC offers other scholarships and support programs for servicemembers.
“We were proud to be invited to stand with the state of Maryland and support the Hidden Heroes campaign,” said Keith Hauk, vice president of stateside military operations at UMGC. “The Dole Foundation and the Dole Fellows have been on the front lines of bringing visibility to the tremendous challenges caregivers face as they navigate through extremely difficult situations. It’s vitally important for them to know they are not alone and that programs like Pillars of Strength are available to not only help them through but to help them thrive.”
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