“I felt like I hadn’t done much with my life yet, and I wanted to give back to the country that has done so much for me,” said Adrian Hill, 23. “Both my grandfathers served, so it was an easy decision for me.”
Hill was a combat engineer in the Army, having served in Afghanistan, where he did route clearance operations.
As a father of two, Hill wanted a way to secure his future after the military. He had always dreamed of becoming a teacher, so he decided to go to college.
“I hope to become a high school social studies teacher,” said Hill. “I have always loved history and I want to share it with others.”
Unfortunately, raising a family made money tight, so Hill reached out for help. He found the VFW “Sport Clips Help A Hero Scholarship” program in an online search. Hill applied and was honored to receive a $5,000 scholarship, the largest amount available.
“I want to personally thank each individual who made this scholarship possible,” said Hill. “And a huge thank you to Sport Clips for sponsoring the scholarship and supporting America’s veterans. This scholarship has allowed me to pay for school without accruing more debt, and I am extremely grateful for that.”
Currently, Hill is one semester away from getting his Bachelors in social science education from Wright State University. After that, he will study for his Masters with a focus on adolescents and young adults.
“My military experience has matured me in a way that nothing else could,” said Hill. “I think it has instilled in me a type of discipline and structure that will be useful in the classroom.”
The Help A Hero Scholarship program was created to award service members and veterans with academic scholarships in the hopes of easing their transition back to civilian life without incurring a large amount of student loan debt. Since the program’s inception in 2013, over 130 service members and veterans have been awarded over $500,000 in scholarships. Click here to find out more about the program!
Photo: Adrian Hill with his two children