Brandon M. Greber Memorial Scholarship

One of the concepts that has been a significant part of my life is military service. I have been around the military culture from a young age due to my father serving in the Army National Guard for twenty years and other family members serving. My appreciation for those serving in the armed forces has gotten me further in life. I am a member of the American Legion Auxiliary, a national veterans organization. I served as the Department of Iowa Honorary Junior President and completed many projects, including collecting donations for the Iowa Veterans Home. I also completed my Girl Scout Gold Award, in which I interviewed local veterans regarding their time in the military. I love listening to the stories veterans tell about where they have been and what they have done. I am motivated by accomplishment, a feeling that I have completed a demanding task. I have learned that accomplishing something you do not want to do pushes you to be better. An example I have is wrestling. Girls wrestling is a more recent sport in Iowa, and I get looks of awe every time I tell someone I wrestle. This sport is quite challenging and can get difficult to persevere with, but I maintain the mindset that it will help me improve and enable me to pursue my goals. However, I do not rely on motivation alone because it is temporary and only a spark. I discipline myself to work hard physically and academically, with a 4.0 GPA and a 29 on the ACT. I constantly succeed and overcome obstacles while learning from them. I am applying to attend the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado. I am also applying to Air Force ROTC as a backup so I can serve in the military as an officer. I chose the Air Force because of my brother, who graduated from the Air Force Academy recently. I want to honor the legacy of CTT1 Brandon Greber and will continue to honor his reputation when I am in and out of the uniform. This scholarship serves as a reminder of his duty to the country. I will uphold the values of Brandon Greber throughout my career in the US military. When I read about Brandon Greber and the Bible verse included in the description, another verse came to mind. "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Mark 10:45). Brandon Greber selflessly chose to serve his country and this selflessness is what I embody and will continue to for the rest of my life. I recognize the freedoms I have been given, which many others are not as fortunate to receive. I connect these privileges to the men and women in our military who have served to protect them. I would not be able to participate in Girl Scouts, be a state president for a veterans organization, or wrestle if it were not for people like my dad, CTT1 Brandon Greber, and many others who made these opportunities possible.