Navy veteran Melissa Fahlgren’s ultimate goal in life is to start an arts and crafts consignment shop in her hometown of San Antonio. To get there, she plans to earn a bachelor’s degree in business administration then a master’s degree in marketing.
For help along the way, Fahlgren applied for VFW’s Sport Clips Help a Hero Scholarship.
Fahlgren, who served as a logistics specialist from 2012 to 2016 and aboard the USS George H.W. Bush, said she found out about the opportunity from Palo Alto College in San Antonio, where she currently attends. It sent her an email of scholarship opportunities for veterans.
Fahlgren said it was “very easy” to apply – all she had to do was fill out an information form and write a short essay. Those two things provided her with more than $1,600 for her tuition and fees during this semester. She added that the scholarship will “significantly help with tuition costs.”
Fahlgren said she is transferring next semester to Texas A&M University-San Antonio to continue toward her bachelor’s degree. Before she transfers, she is scheduled to earn an associate’s degree in business administration.
“By earning this degree, I can reach my goals, and this would also guide me into being a knowledgeable and successful entrepreneur,” Fahlgren said.
She said being a San Antonio native and Navy veteran are two aspects she “holds close” to her heart.
“I have grown into adulthood with a passion to contribute to society as much as possible,” Fahlgren said. “Soon after graduating high school, I struggled with the decision of choosing a field of study. And after a long and hard thought, I decided to enlist into the Navy.”
Fahlgren said she is “thankful for” her decision to enlist.
“Without this life stepping stone, I would not come to realize the importance of my next task at hand,” Fahlgren said “My military experience helped me solidify my choice to pursue a higher education, and, from there, I have not looked back. I continue to strive, to be the best and to give my best every day, because I know in the end I will succeed.”
Sponsored by hair salon franchise Sport Clips, the Help a Hero Scholarship is now in its fifth year.
This article is featured in the September/October 2018 issue of VFW Checkpoint, and was written by Dave Spiva, senior writer, VFW magazine.