LTR: Dawson Officer, 4 Spirits Distillery owner; Gianni Villanueva, student scholarship recipient; and Logan Doerfler, Director of WOU”s Veterans Resource Center.
Written by Maureen Brakke
MONMOUTH, Ore. –Western Oregon University has established a new scholarship with 4 Spirits Distillery, the 4 Spirits Veteran Endowed Scholarship, for combat veteran students.
4 Spirits Distillery is based in Corvallis, Oregon, and honors the memory of four brave combat soldiers with whom owner Dawson Officer served in the Oregon National Guard’s 2nd Battalion, 162nd Infantry Brigade: Lt. Erik McCrae, Sgt. Justin Linden, Sgt. Justin Eyerly and Sgt. David Roustum. Tragically, they lost their lives while serving in Baghdad, Iraq, between 2004 and 2005. This distillery stands as a tribute to their sacrifice and dedication.
“The 4 Spirits Veteran Endowed Scholarship represents the long-term mission behind 4 Spirits Distillery, which is to support U.S. combat veterans with reintegration after they return home from services, and to educate our communities to support the needs of service members and veterans,” said Officer. “In honor of and dedication to the memories of these four fallen soldiers, this scholarship will provide financial assistance to help current combat veteran students pursue their education, become involved in their communities, and advance their lives.”
First scholarship recipient Gianni Villanueva expresses gratitude for receiving this scholarship. “Life has always been about storytelling, and I’ve never understood the sense of crafting a story that wasn’t my own. Growing up, just being a student wasn’t that impressive anymore, and I felt pressure to be more, and thought, ‘what better way to do that than to enlist’. I did this for me and my loved ones, and as a first-generation student, I get to break the stereotypical cycles that my family had. My goal is to flip that way of thinking and show them and everyone that had a fixed perception of me that greatness can be achieved if you work hard for it.”
Villanueva adds that if you have a goal, present it to the world, and places such as 4 Spirits Distillery will believe in you. He expresses how proud he is of the opportunity to represent the veteran community at Western Oregon University and looks forward to achieving more. “I am honored to be the first recipient of this scholarship and cannot wait to make the 4 Spirits Distillery family proud, my family, my peers, and especially myself, and one day, those after me.”
The scholarship will provide up to $1500 in funding to a student and may be awarded for successive years upon completion of the application.
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About Western Oregon University
Western Oregon University, established in Monmouth in 1856, proudly stands as Oregon’s oldest public university. Hosting around 4,000 students, Western embodies a mid-sized, NCAA Division II institution, with approximately 80% of its students hailing from within the state. Notably, its diverse student body comprises individuals from underrepresented backgrounds, Veterans, and non-traditional learners. Western stands as the preferred campus in Oregon for those pursuing an enriching education within a nurturing, student-focused environment, characterized by faculty-led instruction. Where YOU belong.
