Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. -- Four spouses of wounded service members received scholarships from Hope for the Warriors to help them continue their education here Nov. 30.

Amanda McRae, Jennifer Montjoy, Dana Self and Stacey Stauch each received a $5,000 scholarship to help them return to school to help them fulfill their dreams and provide for their families, said Robin Kelleher, the president of Hope for the Warriors.

“It’s an honor,” said Stauch. “It feels really great to know that I can continue my education.”

Stauch is using the scholarship to continue her education and become a nurse.

“It was always something I wanted to do and taking care of my husband made me realize that is what I really wanted to do,” she said.

Hope for the Warriors wanted to start a scholarship, which would be awarded biannually to the spouses of a wounded service member because so many spouses have to quit school to take care of their injured loved one, said Helleher. The organization wanted to give spouses the opportunity to go back to school. The continued education will help the spouse care for their family by creating opportunities to get a good paying job because their husband’s injuries can sometimes make them the prime financial provider.

“We want to give more power back to the spouses,” said Kelleher. “It is an empowerment opportunity to help them provide for their own families.”

Initially the organization was just a race called the Run For The Warriors, which raised more than $77,000, said Kelleher. Their original intent was to give two scholarships to spouses in North Carolina. One to the spouse of a wounded service member and one to a fallen service member’s spouse, but as they continued to raise money they wanted to extend it to spouses nationally.

“It feels great that we can make a difference in lives and provide that hope and build for someone’s future,” said Shannon Maxwell, the vice president of the organization.

Hope for the Warriors is a newly recognized non-profit organization that strives to help spouse of wounded and fallen service members.