New Castle Resident Caring for Her Injured Veteran Husband Receives Full Scholarship to Attend University of Maryland Global Campus

Pillars of Strength Scholarship Program is Only One of its Kind to Specifically Reward Volunteer Caregivers of Wounded, Injured or Ill Military Servicemembers

Adelphi, MD (09/24/2024) — New Castle resident Melissa Burkett is one of 14 volunteer caregivers of wounded, injured or ill military servicemembers to receive a full ride to attend University of Maryland Global Campus under the Pillars of Strength Scholarship Program. Burkett is caring for husband, who was severly injured while serving in the Marine Corps.

Burkett described the call [she received about the scholarship] as life changing. "It's been an emotionally draining year. This was a piece of good news that I really needed. It's a huge blessing," she said. "It's hugely important. As a caregiver, it's hard to feel like you are making a positive difference. I hope this academic endeavor shows my children that you are never too old to follow your dreams or start something new."

Read her full profile:

Melissa Burkett: Two Phone Calls and a Changed Life

Melissa Burkett got the late-night phone call that every military spouse dreads. In March 2012 her husband, Richard, had been deployed with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, leaving her to care for their four children. Just 13 days into his assignment, a sergeant phoned at 11 p.m. to say Richard had been in a plane crash and was severely injured.

"My life went into slow motion as I tried to process the words the sergeant was telling me," Burkett said. "I sat on the edge of my bed in complete disbelief."

Meeting him six days later at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, she found the wounds were much worse than she had been told. Her husband was hospitalized for 89 days.

"I began advocating for him to get the best possible care," she said. "I worked with the medical staff to learn as much as possible to help him with wound care and about all of the medications and his recovery plan."

When he was discharged from the hospital, she had to move their family to a two-bedroom apartment at Walter Reed as she took over as her husband's full-time caregiver. They lived in that apartment for nearly four years as Richard underwent more than 60 surgeries. He ultimately had to have both legs amputated.

As an outlet, Richard Burkett competes around the world as a para-athlete. For the past seven years, he has been on the U.S. Archery Team, and he took part in this year's Paralympic trials. But for that-and for his daily life with and without his prosthetics-he still requires a lot of support from his wife.

Now, 12 years after the crash, another phone call has changed Burkett's world-but this time for the better. The call from University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) let Burkett know that she had been selected for a Pillars of Strength Scholarship, a full-tuition scholarship for people who serve as caregivers for servicemembers.

Burkett described the call as life changing.

"It's been an emotionally draining year. This was a piece of good news that I really needed. It's a huge blessing," she said. "I just want to thank the donors and organizations and UMGC that are supporting the military and their families. It's hugely important. As a caregiver, it's hard to feel like you are making a positive difference. I hope this academic endeavor shows my children that you are never too old to follow your dreams or start something new."

She has been a substitute teacher and is working to become a certified teacher. She plans to use the Pillars of Strength Scholarship to get a master's degree in learning development technology, which would equip her to design curriculum and use technology to present lessons. She hopes the degree will open doors in her New Castle, Pennsylvania, school system.

While researching where to pursue a master's degree, Burkett came across UMGC and discovered that it had a scholarship for caregivers. She doubted she would qualify but applied anyway.

"I just said a prayer and said, 'God, if it's your will, let it be.'"

READ FULL ANNOUNCEMENT OF NEW CLASS OF PILLARS OF STRENGTH SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS

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