Scholar Stories
They're leading.
Behind every statistic is a name, a family, and a future being written. Meet the Scholars of No Greater Sacrifice — the children of our nation's fallen and severely wounded Service members — turning a parent's service into careers in nursing, engineering, intelligence, government, and public health. Some are still in their first year on campus. Others have graduated, started careers, and come back to lead the next class.
Meet our Scholars.
Accounting
Middle Tennessee State University
Garrhett Adkins earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting with a minor in Business Law from Middle Tennessee State University. Experience gained through tax internships with local firms has inspired him to pursue a career as a Certified Public Accountant.
Biology (concentration in Microbiology)
Tennessee Technological University
Deryn Allen is a senior studying biology with a concentration in Microbiology, at Tennessee Technological University. She is also on Tennessee Tech’s cheerleading team. After graduating, Deryn is planning on pursuing a master’s degree in public health.
German
Tennessee Technological University
The NGS scholarship truly lightens the load on our family and we are so appreciative!
Biological Science and Psychology
Florida State University · Class of 2012
Jaquel Barnes was the first college graduate of No Greater Sacrifice. She graduated from Florida State University with a Bachelor of Science in Biological Science and Psychology on August 11, 2012.
Early Childhood Education and Special Education
Mercyhurst University · Class of 2016
NGS has had a tremendous impact on my life. Their support throughout college made it possible for me to focus on my education classes.
Nursing
St. John Fisher College · Class of 2020
This scholarship allowed me to attend a four-year college to earn a degree. My goal is to be able to work with people like my father and give them the treatment they deserve.
Management (emphasis in Marketing)
Brigham Young University · Class of 2016
I am so appreciative of your help. It was important to my dad that I got an education.
Physical Education
Southern Connecticut State University · Class of 2016
I will always be extremely grateful for NGS. No amount of thanks can truly express my gratitude. The organization, donors, and volunteers will forever hold a special place in my heart and in my life.
Psychology
University of Southern California
Thank you so much for this opportunity! Seriously, you have opened so many more doors for me.
Geology
Hardin-Simmons University · Class of 2019
Travon Boyd graduated in December 2019 with a Bachelor’s in Geology and minor in Environmental Sciences from Hardin-Simmons University. He plans to work with wastewater treatment plants, recognizing that water is a crucial resource with increasing demand in today’s modern world.
Power Line Construction & Maintenance
Mitchell Technical College
I am extremely grateful for NGS's commitment to my education and being able to come out of college debt-free. It's not just the financial aspect, but also the mentorship and relationship building that make the NGS scholarship.
Biomedical Engineering
Florida Institute of Technology
This scholarship will allow me to further my education at Florida Tech. The scholarship will help relieve my family of financial stress.
Health Sciences
Florida Gulf Coast University
Gracie Burgess is a sophomore at Florida Gulf Coast University Bachelor’s Degree in Health Sciences and a Minor in Marketing. After graduation she plans to move to Orlando to obtain a Master’s degree in Athletic Training, and hopes to become a WWE Athletic Trainer. She graduated high school in 2020 with a 4.67 GPA, all honors classes, and 19 college credits. She currently writes with her school’s newspaper, Eagle News, and teaches at a dance studio. She also volunteers with Home Base, a non-profit that helps veterans stay in shape physically and mentally.
Business Administration
Austin Community College
Keyghan Burns is a freshman at Austin Community College. With interests in real estate and energy commerce, Keyghan majors in Business Administration. He intends to earn an associate’s degree then transfer to either Texas Tech or the University of Texas to complete a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration.
Worship Ministry
Abilene Christian University · Class of 2021
Ashley Burns graduated with a Bachelor of the Arts in Worship Ministry from Abilene Christian University in May 2021. She will be going full time with her church, using her degree to work in worship ministry and administrative roles, and is excited to continue focusing on her development as a worship leader.
Nursing
Jefferson College of Health Sciences · Class of 2017
I am so appreciative of being a Recipient of the No Greater Sacrifice Scholarship. Without your scholarship, it would have been a lot more difficult financially.
Biochemistry
Auburn University
The No Greater Sacrifice scholarship removed the burden of college costs from my family and provided a significant educational opportunity.
Marketing
Michigan State University · Class of 2021
Lexi Eagle graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Marketing from Michigan State University in May 2021. She has maintained a 3.5 GPA and has been an active member of the Alpha Kappa Psi professional business fraternity. During her time at MSU, Lexi worked as a Student Assistant at the Russell Palmer Career Management Center and her last two academic years was a Marketing Intern for the Career Services Network. She also enjoyed playing intramural volleyball during the week with her friends. Lexi is looking forward to using her degree to work at Codale Electric Supply Inc, a Sonepar Company as a Sales and Operations Trainee. In the future, she would like to pursue a master’s degree in a field related to business or marketing.
Social Work
Augusta University
NGS has been a fantastic help to my college journey. Not only have they supported me by removing that financial need, but they have also awarded me with various opportunities to help pursue my career, such as providing access to LinkedIn, regular school check-ins, and tips and tricks on networking.
Political Science
Howard University
I am not sure what I would do without NGS. They have truly blessed me. I am forever appreciative of all the resources, time, and care you all have poured into me! Words cannot describe what an honor it is to be an NGS Scholar.
Meet the Kules family! Nancy and Ryan Kules are the proud parents of NGS Recipients Jillian (9th grade), Liv (6th grade), and Evan (4rd grade), along with Ryan’s service dog Griff (who’s not in a “grade” but they say is a straight-A student!) ;)
Applied Physiology
Southern Methodist University · Class of 2019
Without the help of No Greater Sacrifice my dream of attending SMU would have been almost impossible. The unique scholarship gave me a foundation to succeed academically, athletically, and socially.
Health Sciences
Clemson University
Greyson Gilbert is a senior at Clemson University, where he is studying health sciences, with the goal of attending graduate school and potentially a doctorate program. His desire for his life’s work to focus on improving the lives of others. He plans to do this through research and/or providing training and preventative strategies to allow for healthier lifestyles.
Industrial Design
University of Houston
Addison Houston is a senior earning a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Design with a Minor in Energy & Sustainability at the University of Houston. After graduation, he plans to earn his Master of Science in Ecological Technology. After that, he plans to start and run a product and graphic design firm, invent cool products, and solve systemic problems.
When four Scholars come from one family.
No Greater Sacrifice supports whole families, not just individual students — when one family carries the cost of service, NGS helps an entire generation reach college. The Walding family is proof. Retired Army Sergeant First Class John Wayne Walding and his wife Amy have four children, and all four are NGS Scholars: Emma is studying graphic design at the University of Arkansas, Sam is studying strategic communication at Northern Arizona University, and Andie and Hannah will use their scholarships when they reach college age. In March 2026, John Wayne Walding shared the family's story on Fox News, putting a face on a mission that reaches across whole households.
The Waldings are not alone. The Prescott family counts four NGS Scholars of its own. One family's sacrifice, in the hands of this community, becomes a whole generation's opportunity — siblings following one another to campuses across the country, debt-free and supported every step of the way.
One Scholar's full circle: Boston Gilbert.
Boston Gilbert was an NGS Scholar before he was an NGS leader. After his father, Major Troy Gilbert, was killed in action in Iraq in 2006, Boston received No Greater Sacrifice scholarship support to attend Southern Methodist University in Dallas — where he earned a B.S. in Applied Physiology and Sport Management and played on the men's soccer team — then went on to complete a Master's in Leadership at Dallas Baptist University.
In 2022 he came back. Today Boston serves as Associate Director of No Greater Sacrifice, helping run the program that once carried him and standing alongside the next generation of Scholars at BootCamp and beyond. His path is the clearest answer to what an NGS scholarship makes possible: not just a degree, but a leader who returns to lift the families who gave so much.
Paying it forward.
An NGS scholarship is not where the story ends — it is where a career begins. Alumni are thriving across law enforcement, medicine, aviation, social work, government, and the arts, carrying the support they received into work that serves others. In the 2024–2025 academic year alone, 41 NGS Scholars earned their degrees and stepped into careers of their own choosing.
Many come back. At BootCamp, NGS Alumni return to sit on panels and coach the next class of Scholars through the same crossroads they once faced — sharing practical advice on thriving in college and beyond. It is proof that the investment compounds, one graduate at a time, into a community that keeps giving back to the families who gave so much.
The stories add up to a record of completion — Scholars who start, persist, and graduate into careers of their own choosing.
Ready to begin
Start with one email.
To apply, a family requests an Eligibility Application — the first step in our annual selection process — by emailing info@nogreatersacrifice.org or calling 202.756.1980. A real person will help you understand whether your child qualifies and what comes next.
The proof behind the stories
See the numbers.
Every story here is one of $30M+ committed to debt-free education since 2008 — with 95 cents of every dollar going directly to the mission. See how the impact adds up across 571 Scholars and counting.
Questions & answers
Frequently asked questions
Help write the next chapter.
Every Scholar, every degree, every number you've seen began with someone who chose to give. Your gift writes the next one — debt-free education for the children of our nation's fallen and severely wounded Service members.