STAUNTON MILITARY ACADEMY ALUMNI FOUNDATION LEGACY SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

WHAT IS IT?

A scholarship program intended to perpetuate the legacy of Staunton Military Academy (SMA). SMA was a special place for many young men from 1884 until it closed in 1976. Through this scholarship program, the alumni of SMA hope to preserve the memory of our school and what it has meant to all of us by helping young people who share the values and ideals for which SMA stood.

WHAT ARE THE TERMS OF THE SCHOLARSHIP?

Two Legacy Scholarships with a minimum value of $2,500 will be awarded annually. No extensions of the scholarship are authorized. Scholarship selections will be based on merit, and applicants will be evaluated on a whole-person basis, including evidence of commitment to the values “Truth-Duty-Honor,” which is especially important to us. Application deadline is 1 July each year.

WHO MAY APPLY?

Only descendants of SMA alumni who are graduating high-school seniors who have acceptance at a two- or four-year colleges may apply. There is no requirement for students to attend a military college or to enroll in ROTC. In fact, the only exclusions from participation are descendants planning to attend the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, the Naval Academy, the Air Force Academy, or the Coast Guard Academy.

HOW CAN A STUDENT APPLY?

SMA descendants who desire to apply for one of the Legacy Scholarships must submit his or her application in an email containing all elements shown below. That application, with all required attachments, must be sent to the SMA Alumni Foundation Office at scholarship@sma-alumni.org not later than 1 July of the year of graduation.

The following information must be included in the body of the emailed applications unless otherwise indicated below with an asterisk:

  • First, middle, and last name of the applicant
  • Full Mailing Address
  • Email Address (If an applicant has an EDU email address from his or her prospective college, that email address should be included as an alternate email address.)
  • Phone number (including area code)
  • The name of the SMA Cadet from whom the applicant is descended, the year he graduated from SMA, and the applicant’s relationship to that SMA Cadet.

Cover Letter: Formally request an SMA Legacy Scholarship and provide information regarding your plans for the future. Describe what the words, “Truth, Duty, and Honor,” mean to you and indicate how those words have been applicable in your personal relationships. Include your academic/extracurricular activities both inside and outside school.

*One of the following essays must be attached to the email application:

  • Essay One: Describe a circumstance, obstacle or conflict in your life, and the skills and resources you used to resolve it. Did it change you? If so, how? Indicate how truth, duty and honor were involved.
  • Essay Two: Considering your lifetime goals, discuss how your current academic and extracurricular activities might help you achieve those goals. Include how truth, duty and honor were involved.

*The following external documents must be attached to your application or otherwise provided to the SMA Foundation as indicated:

  • A letter of recommendation from a member of the faculty (a teacher, for example) of the applicant’s high school. As required by the applicant’s school, this document may either be attached to the applicant’s email or emailed not later than 1 July by the school directly to the Foundation Office at scholarship@sma-alumni.org.
  • A letter of recommendation from one adult outside of the school
  • A copy of the letter of acceptance to a two- or four-year college
  • A copy of the applicant’s transcripts through grade 12. (Transcripts may be either attached to the applicant’s email or, if necessary, emailed by a school official directly to by 1 July.)
  • Scores: SAT (total) ______ and/or ACT______ (Any score listed must be documented in the applicant’s transcript or provided by a separate attached document originated by the testing activity, or a screen shot from the student’s account on the SAT/ACT website.)

Additional Information: When an applicant is selected for a Scholarship, a personal photograph and short biography must be received by the Committee before monies can be dispersed. We will request these items at the time the applicant is notified of his or her award.