The Scholarships for Military Children Program was created to recognize military families' contributions to the fighting force's readiness and to celebrate the commissary's role in the military family community.
For Sofia Gonzales-Trelles, receiving a scholarship through the Scholarships for Military Children program will help her follow her dreams at the University of Pittsburgh. One of the toughest experiences for her while she was growing up was watching her grandmother’s health decline. Before her paternal grandmother passed away in 2021, she looked up to her.
“I have seen a loved one suffer from Alzheimer’s to their last breath, and I want to try to make sure that less people have to see what I saw,” Sofia said.
Sofia is studying neurodegenerative diseases, and she knew she needed help to reduce school costs. She said she applied to 15 schools, and at $50 per application, the costs added up fast.
“I was one of those students that really needed a scholarship,” she explained.
Sofia’s father moved from Peru to the United States in 1991 and served as an Army engineer before he eventually became disabled.
Her mother immigrated in 2001 and the couple soon welcomed two children. Her mother knew about the Fisher House Foundation’s and Defense Commissary Agency Scholarships for Military Children program and encouraged Sofia to apply. Sofia says she is grateful to the scholarship sponsors for helping to reduce her future debt.
“I’m thankful this can help me not pay as much down the line. I can also focus on getting my education as opposed to worrying about where the money for my education is going to come from.”
Sofia used the scholarship to pay for tuition and books. She looks forward to finding ways to change the experience of other families who might otherwise have to see a relative’s health deteriorate.
