Fullhart Horizon Fund helps keep cadets on the path to success
When Maj. Gen. Randal Fullhart announced his retirement as the role of commandant of cadets in August 2023, members of his staff began brainstorming a way to show their thanks for his 13 years of service to the Virginia Tech Corps of Corps.
It was a brief discussion that aligned with an identified need: financial support for cadets in their junior and senior years.
Juniors and seniors in the corps hold pivotal roles in developing first-year and sophomore cadets, and those roles have been growing and demanding more time and dedication. That extra time commitment can be challenging for some junior and senior cadets when finances have been depleted by two years of college expenses.
“Our juniors and seniors are very serious about their leadership positions and spend a lot of time focusing on their duties supporting their cadets. We’ve found that it can be challenging for them to balance their academics and heightened cadet responsibilities while working a part-time job, so additional funding helps ease that financial burden and allows the cadet to focus on their leadership development and those students looking to them for guidance,” said Cmdr. Nate Brown, deputy commandant of cadets for 2nd Battalion.
With that in mind, the Major General and Mrs. Randy Fullhart Horizon Fund was created to provide scholarships to rising junior and seniors cadets to combat those financial pressures. Scholarships from the Fullhart Horizon Fund provide up to $3,500 each year to help offset the cost of housing, food, and other expenses for all junior and senior cadets with a FAFSA on file who are in good standing with the corps, supplementing any other scholarships cadets have.
Col. Craig Alia, the deputy commandant of cadets for 1st Battalion, has seen this impact firsthand across his students.
"I've had ROTC scholarship cadets tell me how much they appreciated the scholarship. Their summer training prevented them from working during break, which is how they pay for the expenses not covered by their scholarship. The Fullhart Horizon Fund prevented them from having to take a semester off to save money to cover their expenses,” said Alia.
Members of the commandant’s staff and partners on the ROTC staffs surprised Fullhart last spring during his retirement event with the first donation to the fund, honoring Fullhart's dedication to the university motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), during his time as commandant.
“By establishing the Major General and Mrs. Randy Fullhart Horizon Fund, we are showing our appreciation for our junior and senior cadets for their service and dedication to Virginia Tech, the corps, and their fellow cadets by helping them with their unmet need. As this fund continues to grow, our hope is to increase the funding offered to cadets to reduce any financial stress they face,” said Kelley Corvin, the corps’ chief advancement officer.
It its first year, the fund has provided about $1.2 million in scholarships.
Cadet Sidney Fredericks, a senior from Reston, Virginia, who leads the corps’ Citizen-Leader Track, is thankful for the extra support.
“I am the oldest of four kids and I have searched for aid throughout college to alleviate some of the burdens on my family when it comes to paying for school. The Fullhart Horizon scholarship was such a blessing this year. I am incredibly grateful for all the donors that gave out of the generosity of their heart to the Fullhart Horizon Fund,” said Fredericks.
Endowed awards such as the Major General and Mrs. Randy Fullhart Horizon Fund and other corps' scholarship programs also support the university’s commitment to Virginia Tech Advantage, which aims to provide Virginia Tech students with transformational learning experiences, regardless of their financial situations.
Those who wish to donate during Giving Day to the Major General and Mrs. Randy Fullhart Horizon Fund to support cadets during their junior and senior year can visit give.vt.edu/supportvtcc to make an impact. Giving Day starts at noon Feb. 19 and ends at noon Feb. 20.
