CGSC Foundation announces winners of 2024 scholarship program

The CGSC Foundation announces the winners of its 2024 competitive scholarship program.

“We’re extremely proud to announce the winners of the 2024 CGSC Foundation Alumni Association Scholarship program,” said CGSC Foundation President and CEO Lora Morgan. “This is the fifth year we’ve run this program and we had more applicants than ever before. What it really means to us is that we’re able to help more military families as we grow the program. Congratulations to this year’s winners and thank you to their parents and grandparents for being life members of our alumni association.”

Three scholarships were awarded to high school students preparing to enter college: Katherine Edwards, a senior from Leavenworth High School in Leavenworth, Kansas, won the $5,000 Colonel Stephen E. “Brownie” Brown Scholarship, the top award for high school students; Antonio Laguna, a senior at West Platte High School in Weston, Missouri, was awarded a $1,000 scholarship; and Elizabeth Post, a senior at Leavenworth High School in Leavenworth, Kansas, was awarded a $500 scholarship.

Two scholarships were awarded to college students continuing their education: Michael Im, a University of Kansas freshman, was awarded a $1,000 scholarship; and Gabriel Sorensen, a presumptive freshman at Brigham Young University, was awarded a $500 scholarship.

Three other students were awarded $5,000 scholarships to Park University, a CGSC Foundation scholarship program partner: Catherine Nance, a high school senior in the Seton Home Study School program in Leavenworth, Kansas; Sarah Troyn, a junior at Kansas State University; and Julia Flynn, a freshman at Xavier University.

High School Recipients

Katherine Edwards, a senior at Leavenworth High School in Leavenworth, Kansas, won the $5,000 Colonel Stephen E. “Brownie” Brown Scholarship. She will graduate in May 2024 and plans to attend the University of Notre Dame in the fall, studying chemistry while participating in ROTC. She chose chemistry because she enjoys the physical sciences and plans to eventually become a pharmacist in the military. Edwards is a member of multiple honor societies, a student council representative, student athlete, and an active participant in multiple school groups and volunteer organizations, including JROTC. Outside of school and extracurricular activities, she also enjoys skiing and CrossFit. Edwards’s alumni sponsor is her mother, Lt. Col. (Ret.) Eugenia Edwards, a leader in the Command and General Staff School Air Force Element at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. She plans to use her scholarship to help cover room and board in college.

Antonio Laguna, a senior at West Platte High School in Weston, Missouri, was awarded a $1,000 scholarship. He will graduate in May 2024 and will attend Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, to study anthropology. He plans to continue his education, and earn master’s and doctorate degrees in archaeology to become an Archaeologist – combining his two passions, studying history and spending time outside working with his hands. In his free time, he is an avid reader, and is involved in many community service projects. His alumni sponsor is his father, Lt. Col. (Ret.) Jose Laguna, a professor at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College (CGSC), and a 2007 CGSC graduate and 2008 graduate of the School of Advanced Military Studies. He plans to use his scholarship to help pay for tuition.

Elizabeth Post, a senior at Leavenworth High School in Leavenworth, Kansas, was awarded a $500 scholarship. She will graduate in May 2024 and will attend the University of South Florida to study Speech and Language Pathology. She chose Speech Pathology to help others find a creative outlet to communicate and stand up for themselves. She’s interested in the arts and plans to minor in art so that she can incorporate art into her Speech and Language Therapy sessions in her practice. Post’s alumni sponsor is her father, Col. Riley Post, Deputy Director of The Research and Analysis Center at Fort Leavenworth and graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. She plans to use her scholarship to help pay for tuition and other expenses.

College Recipients

Michael Im, a freshman at the University of Kansas student studying chemical engineering with a concentration in biomedical engineering, was awarded a $1,000 scholarship. His interest in biomedical engineering began in seventh grade when he was introduced to bacteriophages and “became obsessed” with the potential of engineering bacteriophages to target tumor cells. In his free time, he transcribes songs to piano sheet music and does 3D modeling in Blender and TinkerCAD. Im’s alumni sponsor is his father, Col. (Ret.) Peter Im, Director of Information Advantage Scholars at U.S. Army Command and General Staff College (CGSC), and a 2004 CGSC graduate and 2005 graduate of the School of Advanced Military Studies. He plans to use his scholarship to help pay for tuition.

Gabriel Sorensen was awarded a $500 scholarship. He plans to attend the Marriott School of Business at Brigham Young University, where he will major in Strategic Management and minor in Communications. He is passionate about the field of business, and plans to lift others up and provide opportunities through his future business endeavors. He learned Portuguese while serving a two-year mission in Brazil, and hopes to incorporate that experience and knowledge into his career. He enjoys snowboarding, mountain biking, and playing guitar. Sorensen’s alumni sponsor is his father, Maj. Travis L. Sorensen, a 2022 graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. He plans to use his scholarship for books and housing expenses.

Park University Scholarship Recipients

Catherine Nance, a senior in the Seton Home Study School program in Leavenworth, Kansas, was awarded a $5,000 Park University scholarship. She plans on studying special education. She wants to help children in her career, and became interested in special education after teaching children’s classes at her church. In her free time, she enjoys music, sings, and plays guitar. She also volunteers in her community. Nance’s alumni sponsor is her father, Lt. Col. (Ret.) William Stuart Nance, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Military History at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College (CGSC) and 2014 CGSC graduate.

Sarah Troyn, a junior at Kansas State University studying Theater and Film, was awarded a $5,000 Park University scholarship. She chose theater and film because she wishes to become a director of inspirational movies. Her interests include fencing, volunteering, traveling, and watching plays and ballets, and she’s a member of multiple honor. Troyn’s alumni sponsor is her father, Lt. Col. (Ret.) Thomas James Troyn, a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College.

Julia Flynn, a freshman at Xavier University majoring in Exercise Science with a Pre-Physical Therapy minor, was awarded a $5,000 Park University scholarship. She chose this field of study because she loves the idea of using science and medicine to help people. She is passionate about science and medicine, and looks forward to being part of a field that is continuously advancing with technology and practices. She plans on pursuing a career as a Physical Therapist in the Army, and is in Army ROTC at Xavier. Flynn’s alumni sponsor is her father, Lt. Col. Mark Flynn, a 2019 graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College.

The CGSC Foundation’s scholarship program is open to high school seniors who will begin their college studies in the next fall and for undergraduate college students returning to school. Applicants must be immediate family members (children, grandchildren and spouses) of a life member of the CGSC Foundation’s Alumni Association.

The top scholarship for high school applicants in the program is the Colonel Stephen E. “Brownie” Brown Scholarship named in honor of a U.S. Marine officer who retired from active duty in February 2009 and became an instructor at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College in 2010. Due to medical complications from Spinocerebellar Ataxia (SCA), Brown retired from teaching at CGSC and currently lives in Stillwell, Kansas. His network of lifelong friends approached the CGSC Foundation to establish the scholarship in Brown’s name to honor his lifetime of service and their friendship.

The Park University scholarships are for full-time students for the academic year (the award will be split between the fall and spring semesters). These scholarships can be renewed for up to three years at Park University’s discretion if recipients maintain full-time status, have a 3.0+ GPA, and demonstrate satisfactory academic progress.

The CGSC Foundation welcomes donors who may not have eligible relatives but wish to support the scholarship program. Interested persons can support the scholarship program by visiting www.cgscfoundation.org/donate.

The CGSC Foundation will announce details about the 2025 scholarship program in fall 2024.