Military veterans and military-connected students are getting help with college costs while building a network of support through a golf tournament returning to Santee this fall.
The second annual Scholarships FORE Veterans Golf Tournament will take place Nov. 20 at Carlton Oaks Country Club. Funds raised will benefit veteran and military-connected students attending colleges within the San Diego Community College District (SDCCD).
The inaugural tournament raised $23,152 through contributions from 54 donors, resulting in 15 scholarships being awarded to veteran students. This year, organizers hope to raise even more money while expanding the support network available to students.
Funds raised will be divided equally among the district’s four institutions: San Diego City College, San Diego Mesa College, San Diego Miramar College and San Diego College of Continuing Education.
Each campus will distribute scholarships through its own award process.
Communications and Media Director Alma Godinez said the event’s impact goes beyond financial assistance.
“Our mission is not limited to raising scholarship funds,” Godinez said. “We want to build meaningful relationships between veteran students and the employees, faculty, administrators, and veterans support teams who can help them succeed.”
One example is David Smith, a 23-year Marine Corps veteran who attended Miramar College and became involved in last year’s tournament. He volunteered at registration, participated in the golf event and connected with the organizers. Since then, Smith has transferred to Point Loma Nazarene University. He has also helped recruit participants for this year’s tournament by contacting the university’s veteran’s department. He plans to return to share his experience with SDCCD veteran students who are considering transferring from a community college to a four-year university.”
The tournament grew out of a personal loss for founder Nate Talo.
His brother, a Navy Senior Chief who served for 23 years, was forced to retire after developing a brain tumor that eventually took his life.
Talo initially considered establishing a scholarship in his brother’s name. However, he decided to expand the effort to help other veterans pursuing their education. The project was developed into a collaboration involving college veterans departments, students and SDCCD employees. Carl ton Oaks Country Club was selected because Talo had previously participated in a successful military event at the Santee course.
Local supporters include Navy Federal Credit Union and Mission Fed. Other donors and participating businesses include Chick-fil-A Santee, Trader Joe’s and several San Diego-area companies.
Golf registration costs $150 per player and includes snacks, lunch and some beverages. Businesses and community members can also participate through sponsorships, raffle prizes, merchandise donations and other contributions.
Donations will be accepted through tournament day.
Sponsors joining after that date can still receive recognition through the organization’s website and social media. Organizers are also hoping for greater military participation this year.
Last year’s tournament took place during a federal government shutdown, which affected the involvement of active-duty military personnel.
Godinez said, “Ultimately, we want every veteran student to know that they have a community standing behind them.”
More information about registration, sponsorships and donations is available at ScholarshipsFOREVeterans.org.
The organization can also be found on Instagram at @scholarshipsforeveterans.
