Isabella Rose Lotte Brown thought she was joining a morning round of golf, but was instead surprised by a $9,000 scholarship.
On May 24, the Georgia Southern University Department of Military & Veteran Services hosted its second annual Golf Scramble fundraiser. Dozens of local leaders and donors played a round at the Georgia Southern University Golf Course in Statesboro, Georgia.
Among the attendees was Brown, a Master of Science in Criminal Justice and Criminology student at Georgia Southern. She’s an incredibly busy student and had a job interview to rush off to that afternoon, but she was excited for a fun and relaxing morning at the course.
During the pregame ceremony, retired Col. George L. Fredrick, Ed.D., director of Military & Veteran Services, gave Brown a shoutout and so much more.
Waiting just around the corner, was a large (both literally and figuratively) check with Brown’s name on it. The emotion she showed brought smiles and applause from all of the golfers in attendance.
“It was gratefulness, appreciation and vulnerability in the best way possible,” Brown said. “It solidifies just how much I want to be a part of the military community for as long as I can. I want to enlist in the military after I’m finished with my master’s.”
Thanks to her school work, impact on the community and the trials she’s overcome in her personal life, Brown was awarded a $9,000 Robert S. Haywood Scholarship. This scholarship is available to students attending Georgia Southern who have or had parents who served in the military. Additionally, she was gifted free dental care thanks to a donation from Dr. Ronald A. Tosto of DDS & Associates in Statesboro, Georgia.
Brown grew up in a military family filled with Army veterans, including both of her parents, her sister and her grandfather, who was a Green Beret.
“Being an Army child has afforded me a lot of possibilities, especially academically and professionally,” she said. “But it’s also taught me about perseverance and how to make sacrifices and instill wonderful values in my future family as well. And it makes me very happy and compassionate going forward.”
Brown’s father, who died when she was 12 years old, wouldn’t have been at all surprised to see her taking the path she’s on and achieving what she’s achieved, she said.
In her young career, she has been involved with military groups like Children of Fallen Patriots, Folds of Honor and others.
“He put a lot of effort into my studies growing up, even though he was only here for such a short amount of time,” Brown noted. “He was a very hands-on father. He was a wonderful father, a wonderful partner. I’m just very, very grateful to have known him, and to have built the relationship. I was a daddy’s girl.”
Georgia Southern offers a wide range of academic and financial resources for veterans and military-connected families pursuing their college education. Visit Military & Veteran Services to learn more. Academic and financial resources for veterans seeking a degree can be found here.
