Graduates receive Sgt. Maj. Joe Houle scholarships – The Daily News – Jacksonville, NC
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Updated: June 20, 2025 @ 2:34 am
Megan Watters reads her “What Patriotism Means to Me” essay to retired Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. Joe Houle before accepting the Sgt. Maj. Joe Houle Scholarship Wednesday at the Beirut Memorial in the Lejeune Memorial Gardens.
Retired Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. Joe Houle presents New Bern High School graduate Parker Taylor with the Sgt. Maj. Joe Houle Scholarship on Wednesday at the Beirut Memorial in the Lejeune Memorial Gardens.
Anita Best, member of the Sgt. Maj. Joe Houle Scholarship Fund Committee, left, kicks off Wednesday’s scholarship presentation at the Beirut Memorial in the Lejeune Memorial Gardens.
Megan Watters reads her “What Patriotism Means to Me” essay to retired Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. Joe Houle before accepting the Sgt. Maj. Joe Houle Scholarship Wednesday at the Beirut Memorial in the Lejeune Memorial Gardens.
Retired Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. Joe Houle presents New Bern High School graduate Parker Taylor with the Sgt. Maj. Joe Houle Scholarship on Wednesday at the Beirut Memorial in the Lejeune Memorial Gardens.
Anita Best, member of the Sgt. Maj. Joe Houle Scholarship Fund Committee, left, kicks off Wednesday’s scholarship presentation at the Beirut Memorial in the Lejeune Memorial Gardens.
Two local high school graduates and children of service members were presented the Sgt. Maj. Joe Houle Scholarship Wednesday at the Beirut Memorial in the Lejeune Memorial Gardens.
The scholarship honors the legacy of retired Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. Joe Houle Sr.
Houle served more than three decades in the U.S. Marine Corps. He was awarded the Purple Heart and honorably discharged in 1970 after suffering injuries in Vietnam, but re-enlisted in 1974.
Houle officially retired in 2000 and co-founded the Carolina Museum of the Marine, set to open in 2026. He also served as director of operations and artifacts for the museum until retiring in 2023.
The scholarship idea came about in 2024 when retired Marine Corps Lt. Col. David Brown suggested something be created in Houle’s honor. Houle disagreed that was necessary, but he came around to the idea of a scholarship.
“I am very humbled to be able to have the opportunity to give back to young folks that deserve a little step up in their education,” Houle said.
This year’s recipients, the first, were selected for their academic achievements, community involvement and personal resilience.
Graduating seniors Parker Taylor, of New Bern High School, and Megan Watters, of Southwest High School, represent the values of leadership, service and integrity that Houle championed throughout his life and military career, said Raquel Painter, member of the Sgt. Maj. Joe Houle Scholarship Fund Committee.
“This scholarship is not just about financial support, it’s about carrying forward a legacy of excellence and service,” Painter said. “Sgt. Maj. Houle believed deeply in empowering the next generation, especially those growing up in military families who often shoulder unique challenges.”
Taylor and Watters each were presented with a $500 scholarship during the special ceremony Wednesday in Jacksonville. Both read their essays, which were titled, “What Patriotism Means to Me.”
A graduate of New Bern High, Taylor was a varsity cheerleader, a member of the National Honor Society and an N.C. Governor’s School finalist. She has volunteer experience at Red Cross blood drives and Backpack Blessings and works as a hostess at Anabelle’s in New Bern.
She graduated with a 3.87 unweighted Grade Point Average and was in the top 10% of her graduating class.
When Taylor was just 15-years-old, her father was diagnosed with small-cell lung cancer, which she said was due to being stationed at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune during the time of the water contamination.
He died just 17 days after diagnosis, in 2022.
“This scholarship was just really special to me, because I can share my story about him and also spread awareness about the amazing things that military people have to do just to serve our country,” Taylor said.
“It’s an honor, and I feel like I’m making him proud just getting the word out.”
A graduate of Southwest High, Watters was a member of the National Honor Society, the Music Honors Society and Future Farmers of America. She has also been involved in the Great Spirit Pow Wow for five years.
Watters graduated with a 3.85 GPA and was also in the top 10% of her graduating class.
Her father, Travis Watters, served in the U.S. Marine Corps for four years in the 1990s, spending some time in the Gulf War. He called it humbling and heartfelt to see his daughter receive the scholarship.
“I’ve known Mr. Houle from when he started the museum, and I’ve worked with him for years, and when the scholarship arose, I said, ‘I think you need to apply for that one, it would be an honor if you did win,’ and she did,” he said.
Houle said it brought tears to his eyes to hear the young women say patriotism is still alive. He hopes to see the scholarship fund grow in the years to come.
Taylor is headed to the University of South Carolina in the fall to study public health and has aspirations to do something with genetic research.
Watters plans to attend Cape Fear Community College to become a veterinary technician.
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