There is no price to be put on the death of a loved one, especially when that life is cut short in the service of the nation. Those fallen leave behind children, parents, wives, and husbands, all of whom lose precious time shared with their family member. That’s why the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has partnered with the Folds of Honor Foundation to provide scholarship support to the families of fallen service members.
Since its founding in 2007, Folds of Honor has been dedicated to providing scholarships to dependents and spouses of military members killed or disabled in the line of duty. Recently, the organization has expanded its mission to include families of first responders. To date, they have funded more than 44,000 scholarships across the country, including 44 this fall at UT.
Through the vision of alumna Jennifer Armstrong (’72) of Manhasset, New York, students at UT who have suffered this type of loss will now have additional support to pursue their educational dreams. Armstrong, who spent seven years on the UT Alumni Board of Directors, recently created the Vols of Honor scholarship endowment that she hopes will ultimately remove all financial barriers for these students and their families.
This scholarship has been a stepping stone to my success. I am eternally grateful for this opportunity that you’ve given me. I will strive to make your decision worthwhile through perseverance, vigilance, and leadership.
– Jaila Lurry (’24), Neuroscience Major and Psychology Minor
Armstrong remembers vividly the events of September 11, 2001, and she drew on that experience as an inspiration to lead this effort.
“In Manhasset, New York—the area on Long Island where I live—most of us work in New York City for financial institutions or on Wall Street,” she said. “Probably about 500 people of the 2,977 who died on 9/11 were from Long Island. Thirty-five families lost a parent or sibling from my town alone. It was a very hard time.”
In the years since, Armstrong’s admiration for the military and first responders has grown, as has her respect for organizations like Folds of Honor.
“I’ve been involved with Folds for a few years, and I knew how important their work was to support those left behind,” she said. “I knew Folds had several students here at UT, and I knew that we could do more to help them. I began to talk to the folks at UT as well as with the Folds of Honor, and we came up with what we are calling the Vols of Honor, which will be the first scholarship of its kind in the country. My vision is to build the endowment to help every Vols of Honor student and that other universities will take the Volunteer lead and create their own honor scholarship.”
Through the new Vols of Honor scholarship endowment, any student already receiving a scholarship through the Folds of Honor Foundation will be eligible to receive additional financial assistance.
Ben Leslie, chief impact officer of the Folds of Honor Foundation, praised Armstrong’s passion and initiative and said the partnership holds great promise.
“We are excited about this partnership and so grateful to the patriotic alumni at the University of Tennessee that share our commitment to leave no family behind,” he said. “What Jennifer Armstrong has done through the establishment of the Vols of Honor will not only help provide more support for these families but also help to raise the awareness of the mission of Folds of Honor. The state of Tennessee is filled with patriots, and the university reflects that in so many ways.”
Those interested in supporting the new Vols of Honor scholarship endowment can do so by visiting giving.utk.edu/volsofhonor. Folds of Honor is also planning a golf tournament next spring at Tennessee National Golf Course, which will help ensure a bright future for the family members of our nation’s greatest Volunteers.
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Folds of Honor is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization that provides educational scholarships to the spouses and children of military members who have fallen or been disabled while serving in the United States Armed Forces. Our educational scholarships support private school tuition or tutoring in grades K–12, tuition for college, technical or trade school and postgraduate work, including a master’s degree, doctorate, or professional program. Funds for a second bachelor’s degree or trade/technical program certification are also available. Since its inception in 2007, Folds of Honor has awarded nearly 44,000 scholarships totaling nearly $200 million in all 50 states. Among the students served, 41 percent are minorities. It is rated a four-star charity by Charity Navigator and Platinum on GuideStar. It was founded by Lt. Col. Dan Rooney, the only-ever F-16 fighter pilot (with three combat tours in Iraq) and PGA professional.
