Jack Stewart College Scholarship
Scholarship Amount:
- Two $2,500 scholarships are awarded annually to graduating high school seniors who are pursuing a career in health care sciences.
Due Date:
- Friday, April 26, 2024.
Background:
Named after retired army veteran Jack Stewart, this scholarship program honors his dedication to his nation and his community. Jack is the recipient of the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Bronze Star Medal for Valor, the Purple Heart, and the Meritorious Service Medal. From 1982 to 2003, he served as the director of Monterey County’s Military & Veterans Affairs Office. During that time, Jack developed a program to transport veterans to and from VA medical facilities in the VA Palo Alto Health Care System. He also helped establish a small VA Health Care Clinic in Marina, and was instrumental in the establishment of our local California Central Coast Veterans Cemetery. Jack has helped hundreds, if not thousands, of veterans receive the benefits they earned.
The Jack Stewart College Scholarship is funded by TMF’s annual Jack Stewart Golf Tournament event.
Eligibility & Application Requirements:
- Students must have a minimum 3.25 Grade Point Average (GPA) to apply.
- Students must reside in Marina and can be graduating seniors at any Monterey County high school.
- This scholarship is for students interested in pursuing a college degree or an approved certificate program in Medical Health Sciences.
- A completed application.
- An official copy of the student’s transcripts showing the GPA.
- At least one letter of recommendation from a faculty or staff member at the student’s High School
- A one-page response to the question: “What does America’s democracy mean to me?” Response should be typewritten and should include a heading that contains the applicant’s name, address, and telephone number.
Extra consideration is given to students with community and/or JROTC service.
The application can be found HERE.
Applications are due by Friday, April 26, 2024.
Past Recipients
About Jack Stewart
Jack Stewart is a man who has dedicated his entire life to serving his nation, his community and his comrades. He retired from the US Army in 1974 after more than twenty years of service including two tours of Vietnam. He was awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Bronze Star Medal for Valor, the Purple Heart, and the Meritorious Service Medal. Jack highlighted his career as the Chief of Instruction at the U.S. Army Hawaii NCO Academy from 1969 to 1971, and, from 1974 to 1982 while attending college to earn a Bachelor’s Degree, he was employed as a Field Legal Examiner for the Veterans Administration. Jack entered the Army and retired at Fort Ord.
In 1982 Jack was hired by Monterey County to serve as Director, Military & Veterans Affairs Office. During his tenure he developed new programs, including: In 1985, a Veterans Transportation Program to and from VA Medical facilities in the VA Palo Alto Health Care System manned by volunteers; In 1995, a small VA Health Care Clinic was established in Marina, in collaboration with Congressman Farr, the VA Director, and Jack. He held this position until 2003. Along the way he helped hundreds, if not thousands of veterans receive the benefits they earned.
Jack also served two terms as the President of the California State Veterans Service Officers Association from 1989 to 1991. He was also founding President of the National Association of County Veterans Service Officers from 1987 to 1992.
In 1991, Jack was tasked by the Board of Supervisors as one of the four key persons on establishing the Veterans Cemetery on the Historic Fort Ord. A quasi legal committee was formed consisting of the United Veterans Council, Congressional Offices, and City, County, and State officials. He served on the Fort Ord Reuse Authority (FORA) Committee charged with finding an appropriate location for the cemetery, finally settling on the Parker Flats location. In 1994, the State Veterans Cemetery site was selected and approved. Jack worked with the Cities of Monterey and Seaside, and the County to get an agreement signed in 1997. After years of work and thousands of hours of meetings, the State of California, the Federal Government, and local contributors, all came forth with the funding necessary to finally make the dream of a Veterans Cemetery in Ft. Ord a reality. The Grand Opening of the California Central Coast Veterans Cemetery occurred in 2016.
Jack was also a founding member of the Veterans Cemetery Ad Hoc Committee, which evolved into the current Cemetery Advisory Committee. Jack served on various County Veterans Cemetery Committees, until 2019. Needless to say, this long lasting challenge was his key accomplishment. For his twenty plus years of dedication and service to the Marina community, The Marina Foundation recognized Jack Stewart as the 2013 Marina Man of the Year.
