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May 06, 2025, 06:00 ET
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Five military spouses awarded with full-tuition scholarships in honor of Military Spouse Appreciation Day
SAN ANTONIO, May 6, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Operation Homefront, the national nonprofit working to build strong, stable, and secure military families, announced today that it proudly joins longtime partner, Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU), to award five military spouses with full-tuition scholarships in honor of Military Spouse Appreciation Day.
Operation Homefront and SNHU share the belief that military families, who selflessly serve alongside their service members on behalf of all Americans, should be honored and celebrated. With the challenges inherent to military life, completing a college education can feel like an unattainable goal for many military spouses. Since 2014, SNHU has partnered with Operation Homefront to support the military community and award full-tuition scholarships to over 45 military spouses nationwide, helping make their educational aspirations a reality.
"Our institution has been dedicated to reducing barriers for the military community and expanding access to high quality education. We’re honored by our partnership with Operation Homefront to help military spouses pursue their goals," said Dr. Jeremy Owens, AVP of University Partnerships at SNHU.
“Our nation’s military families face frequent moves, deployments, and live far from their families, making it challenging for military spouses, who are often the glue to maintaining family stability and unity, to complete a traditional degree and pursue a meaningful career,” said Rear Admiral (ret) Alan Reyes, President & CEO of Operation Homefront. “We are grateful to Southern New Hampshire University for honoring these five deserving military spouses with an opportunity to realize their personal goals and dreams, regardless of where the military may take their families, and help them build a more strong, stable, and secure future.”
Military Spouse Appreciation Day, the Friday before Mother’s Day, was first recognized by President Ronald Reagan in 1984 as a day to honor the strength and contributions of our nation’s nearly 1 million spouses during Military Appreciation Month. Between regular relocations, deployments, and familial responsibilities, military spouses greatly benefit from the flexible, accessible, and transfer-friendly programs that SNHU is committed to providing to all learners.
“SNHU has a proud history of supporting service members and their families in achieving their educational and career aspirations,” said Dr. Jeremy Owens, AVP of University Partnerships at SNHU. “Since World War II, our institution has been dedicated to reducing barriers for the military community and expanding access to high quality education. We’re honored by our longstanding partnership with Operation Homefront to help military spouses pursue their goals.”
Recipients of SNHU scholarships include:
Katherine Waddy Battisti, Navy Spouse
Katherine is excited to pursue a degree in marketing or finance and to achieve the personal goals she set aside while caring for her child and supporting her fellow Navy spouses. Her husband, a submariner, completed back-to-back sea tours spanning five different submarines. As Ombudsman for two of those submarines, she was on call 24/7 to support the families of those sailors. With her husband now on shore tour, Katherine can focus on her education and pursuing a career that helps companies engage with and develop products that benefit military families.
Jenna Demyon, Air Force Spouse
Jenna plans to pursue a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology with a concentration in Child and Adolescent Development, fulfilling her passion for supporting children and families. As a military spouse, frequent relocations and single parenting during deployments made it difficult to establish consistency in her education. She looks forward to showing her children the value of perseverance by earning her degree and ultimately pursuing a career in which she supports children in educational or clinical settings.
Rochele Grierson, Army Spouse
Rochele, an Army veteran herself, looks forward to pursuing her Master’s degree in Nursing. As an Army spouse, she obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing over the course of five years, navigating complexities, including a move from Alabama to Hawaii. Rochele, who immigrated to the United States in 2009, is eager to be a role model for her two daughters by focusing on her professional development and setting her family up for financial success as her husband nears retirement after 20 years of service.
Melissa Mosher, Navy Spouse
Melissa has spent 20 years as a military spouse dedicated to serving military families. After earning two associate degrees, she put her educational goals on hold to homeschool her child while living in Japan for four years, during which her sailor was home for less than six weeks each year. Melissa has served on several Family Readiness Group boards, as an Ombudsman, and in various other roles to help improve the lives of others. She is excited to pursue her Bachelor of Science degree in Finance to become a Certified Public Accountant and help military families thrive financially.
Dayana Sanchez Navarro, Marine Spouse
Dayana, inspired to develop her own independence and prepare to support her family financially when her husband eventually retires from military service, plans to utilize her SNHU education to ultimately become a school counselor and possibly a speech therapist. Through several duty station changes and deployments, she has kept the household running while often being the primary caretaker for her three children. Dayana looks forward to showing her three children that it is never too late to pursue an education and build a fulfilling career.
To learn more about how Operation Homefront supports military families, visit operationhomefront.org. For more information about SNHU’s degree programs and its military student experience, visit snhu.edu/military.
About Operation Homefront
Operation Homefront is a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to build strong, stable, and secure military families so that they can thrive – not simply struggle to get by – in the communities they have worked so hard to protect. Recognized for superior performance by leading independent charity oversight groups, 83 percent of Operation Homefront expenditures go directly to programs that support tens of thousands of military families each year. Operation Homefront provides critical financial assistance, transitional and permanent housing, and family support services to prevent short-term needs from turning into chronic, long-term struggles. Thanks to the generosity of our donors and the support from thousands of volunteers, Operation Homefront proudly serves America’s military families. For more information, visit Operation Homefront’s website.
About Southern New Hampshire University
Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) is a private, nonprofit institution with a 92-year history of educating traditional-aged students and working adults. Now serving more than 200,000 learners worldwide, SNHU offers approximately 200 accredited undergraduate, graduate and certificate programs, available online and on its 300-acre campus in Manchester, NH. Recognized as one of the “Most Innovative” regional universities by U.S. News & World Report and one of the fastest-growing universities in the country, SNHU is committed to expanding access to high quality, affordable pathways that meet the needs of each learner. Learn more at http://www.snhu.edu.
Media Contact
Erin Burgy, Operation Homefront, (469) 934-7131, [email protected], https://operationhomefront.org/
SOURCE Operation Homefront
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