“Seeing the Call to Duty Scholarship, my last little bit of reservations were wiped away. I knew where I wanted to go when I saw I had that scholarship.”
- Zachary Denton
In 2023, the program’s inaugural year, the opportunity for a Call to Duty Scholarship was a deciding factor in prospective cadets’ decisions to attend VMI.
By now, many people are familiar with the strain college tuition can place on a family, and some people know someone whose intended educational ambition had to change due to finances. And, when available, scholarships rarely cover close to a full ride.
Until recently, that was the case at Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Virginia — a small public college where over half of each year’s graduating class chooses to serve their country by commissioning in the military. ROTC scholarships paid for by the federal government support the cost of tuition for many on this worthy career path, leaving families or the students, referred to as cadets, to pay for room and board.
VMI is one college tackling the challenge of filling the gap for many of these families. As part of an ongoing effort to support these young men and women willing to dedicate years of their lives to serving their country, VMI is offering Call to Duty Scholarships, which cover room and board for selected cadets on ROTC scholarships. The undertaking thus far has been underwritten by the generosity of private donations by VMI alumni, friends, and families. Andrew Deal, a 2012 VMI alumnus and VMI Alumni Agencies chief development officer, explains: “This is an ambitious goal to sustain this support for years to come, and we are looking for individuals and organizations to keep the momentum going. For each qualifying cadet, we are committing to supporting three or four years while at VMI.”
In its inaugural year in 2023, the opportunity for a Call to Duty Scholarship was a deciding factor in prospective cadets’ decisions to attend VMI, a school with an outstanding academic reputation and an exceptional track record of producing officers serving in all military branches.
Coming from San Bruno, California, Ben Fong knew that he wanted to serve in the military — but with an unstable housing situation in his senior year of high school, Fong knew he’d be on the hook for any costs not covered by his ROTC scholarship. At first, attending an out-of-state school like VMI seemed like too much of a stretch, but he persevered. “That was the biggest worry in applying for colleges,” Fong said. “If I got accepted to these colleges, how would I actually be able to attend?”
Now in his first year at VMI with plans to commission into the U.S. Marine Corps, Fong learned of a way forward he’d never imagined when he heard about the Call to Duty Scholarships. And, when he heard he’d been selected based on his merits and potential, the relief and gratitude were overwhelming. “I was thinking, man, they really care about their scholarship students,” said Fong. “So, I just thought, wow, I haven’t gotten to the school yet, and they’re already thinking about me.”
Cadets Benjamin Fong and Zachary Denton are two of the first recipients of VMI’s newly formed Call to Duty Scholarships.
Also in his first year, Zachary Denton was likewise relieved to learn that a Call to Duty Scholarship could clear the way to a VMI education and a military career. Denton, who plans to commission into the U.S. Army, wanted to follow the same path as his father, an Army colonel. He found VMI through an older friend who was already a cadet, and while he liked what he saw, he was also contemplating another school.
Noting that the Call to Duty Scholarship was pivotal in his decision to attend VMI, Denton felt relief that his ambitions for college could be realized. “The goal of VMI is to give the best and brightest officers to our various service branches,” he said. “Enabling them to not have to worry about the financial part of it is a really great thing.”
Virginia Military Institute is a top-ranked public liberal arts college boasting one of the leading ROTC programs in the United States.
Denton will never forget the day he learned that he’d received the Call to Duty Scholarship. A high-demand candidate, there were out-of-state colleges offering enhanced military scholarships, but VMI’s program helped him secure his top choice. “I talked to alumni and ... current cadets, and I was more and more excited about the prospect of going here,” he said. “Seeing the Call to Duty Scholarship, my last little bit of reservations were wiped away. I knew where I wanted to go when I saw I had that scholarship.”
Prospective cadets interested in applying for Call to Duty Scholarships can visit vmi.edu/calltoduty to learn more. For those interested in supporting future Call to Duty Scholarship recipients, visit vmialumni.org/calltoduty.
