Queens Guard Alumni Launch Veterans Scholarship Endowment
  Edited by Carissa Sestito RC’06
As George Washington once observed, “The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive the veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their nation.”
In the spirit of gratitude and recognition of veterans combined with commemoration of Rutgers 250th anniversary, The Queens Guard Alumni Association (QGAA) proudly launched a pledge drive to raise $25,000 from among its alumni members to fund its newly created scholarship endowment for high academically achieving student veterans at Rutgers–New Brunswick. Over 24 months ending in December 2016, QGAA fully funded the endowment solely from among its alumni of The Queens Guard and Scarlet Rifles drill teams, as well as matching gifts from several employers, across three generations from the 1950s through the 1980s.
“In light of our history as overseas representatives of the U.S. Armed Forces and the pursuit of military careers among many of our alumni, we were eager to support the aspirations for higher education among student veterans and view the endowment as an enduring legacy of our commitment to help them transition from military service to fulfilling civilian lives,” said QGAA President Joseph Carlani (RC’84).
Carlani explained that any number of scholarships may be awarded annually, provided that the sum does not exceed the annual spending rate of the university’s endowment, to benefit students entering their junior and senior years based on competitive cumulative grade point averages calculated during their freshman and sophomore years. Scholarships will be awarded through the combined assessment of the university’s Office of Veteran and Military Programs and Services (“OVMPS," also known as Vets House) and the candidate’s respective
Office of the Dean and the Office of Financial Aid—these scholarships will supplement shortfalls in funding available through the G.I. Bill.
Vets House Director
Ann Treadaway
shared, “The history
of Rutgers students
s e r v i n g i n t h e
military is long and
distinguished.
Students of Queen’s College left their classes to fight for their country’s independence as the British landed on New Jersey’s shores. Graduates requested their diploma as they fought to preserve the Union during the Civil War. Veterans outnumbered their civilian classmates after World War II utilizing the first G.I. Bill and, now, after the longest period of sustained warfare in American history, the number of Rutgers students who served in the U.S. Armed Forces more than doubled in the last five years.”
“Our close partnership with QGAA has proven very helpful to student veterans since the inception of Vets House and now is expanded and strengthened for the benefit of future generations through QGAA’s Veterans Scholarship Endowment,” she said.
Recently, Military Times ranked Rutgers #2 out of all four-year colleges nationally for student veterans due to the efforts of Treadaway and her team.
In October 2016, the Rutgers University Alumni Association recognized QGAA with the Rutgers Excellence in Alumni Leadership (REAL) Award for philanthropic initiative, which QGAA subsequently gifted for display at Vets House along with a plaque recognizing QGAA’s charter alumni donors. Carlani and Treadaway agreed that display of QGAA’s award at Vets House would resonate well among student veterans as they begin new civilian lives
VETS HOUSE DIRECTOR ANN TREADAWAY AND QGAA PRESIDENT JOSEPH CARLANI RC ’84 DISPLAY QGAA’S REAL AWARD FOR PHILANTHROPY AT VETS HOUSE. PHOTO COURTESY OF JUSTIN SASSO SAS ’16.
traversing the halls of Rutgers with the heartfelt respect and encouragement of their alumni benefactors.
So from the observations of President Washington to the launch of the first G.I. Bill under President Franklin Roosevelt, and recently the Post 9/11 G.I. Bill under President Barack Obama, the United States strives to integrate veterans into new civilian lives through the merits of higher education and remains consistently strengthened by the initiatives of private citizens across campuses nationwide in support of those who have most readily defended the nation’s ideals. 5
 The Queens Guard Precision Rifle Drill Team dominated intercollegiate competition and performed at international exhibition venues throughout Europe, Canada and Australia/New Zealand for decades as representatives of the United States and Rutgers. Founded in 2005 as a special interest group of the Rutgers Alumni Association, QGAA represents alumni of The Queens Guard and Scarlet Rifles, each rival rifle drill teams competing cross-campus on behalf of the Air Force and Army ROTC, respectively, until their merger in 1971. To learn more about The Queens Guard and to view their overseas performances, visit QGAA’s website at queensguard-rutgers.org/ and YouTube channel at youtube.com/user/queensguardrutgers/.
WWW.RUTGERSALUMNI.ORG
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