MARINE CORPS AIR STATION BEAUFORT, SC -- “Learning is not the product of teaching. Learning is the product of the activity of learners.”
-John Holt, writer and educator.
The Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort Officers’ Spouses’ Club rewarded several Lowcountry students with scholarships during a banquet held at the Officers’ Club, May 12.
The OSC’s annual Scholarship and Philanthropy Awards Banquet honored students and philanthropist from the Beaufort area with scholarships and awards. The scholarships are an example of the Air Station family giving back to the community, according to Col. Harmon A. Stockwell, commanding officer, MCAS Beaufort.
“Our strong relationship with the community is 24/7,” Stockwell said. “The community takes care of us and our families on a non-stop basis and they have been undaunting in that task. It is great to see the OSC take time to give back to the community.”
South Carolina’s Librarian of the Year, Dennis Adams, Information Services of Beaufort County Library Association, delivered a speech congratulating the students and their benefactors, during the banquet.
“Somehow, wanting to succeed has gotten a bad reputation,” Adams said. “Studying has long been associated with boredom and pain.”
The extraordinary efforts of the scholarship winners should be applauded and envied by everyone, according to Adams.
“Each and every one of (them) are about to begin college pursuits,” Adams said. “(They) will soon be making studies and studying the purpose of their lives.”
Students who merely go through the motions of getting an education are missing out on a real opportunity to learn, according to Adams.
“My biggest regret is that I did not fully appreciate my student days,” Adams said. “The OSC is giving (them) a great gift. The best way to thank their philanthropists is to make the best use possible of these gifts.”
While the OSC will continue to help make a difference in the future leaders of Beaufort and the world, the students should congratulate themselves on a job well done, according to Stockwell.
“The stars are yours,” Stockwell said. “I am proud of the Air Station family for helping you reach them.”
Scholarships Winners: Judith Richardson, Lindsay Roberg, Kathryn Myers, Jennifer Kelly, Tabitha Day, Laurian Woodring, Jada Gaines, Jessica Hayes and Andrew Cooper.
First Command Financial Planning Scholarship Award: Andrew Cooper
Philanthropy Awards: Caitlin Cares Campaign, Beaufort County Youth Orchestra, Alzheimer’s Family Services, American Red Cross (Palmetto Chapter), Central Christian Church, Friends of Caroline Hospice, Whale Branch Elementary and Middle Schools, National Federation of the Blind of Beaufort, Old Village Association of Port Royal, Hope Cottage of the Lowcountry, Annie Mae Simmons Foundation Shelter, Beaufort County Educational Association, American Field Services, Children, Youth and Teen, Boy Scouts of America Laurel Bay Troop 282.