Selection of the Legacy Scholarship recipient(s) are made by a Scholarship Committee appointed by the Board of Directors of the U.S. Army Women’s Foundation. Each scholarship category (certificate, community college, undergraduate, and graduate) will be evaluated and considered separately by the Scholarship Committee who will also determine the number of scholarships awarded for each category and the amounts of each scholarship. Army women will be considered in one group and the lineal descendants of Army women will be considered in a separate group. In this way, peers will compete with their peers.
Scholarship recipients are eligible to compete in subsequent years and may receive a total of two awards except for the Graduate Program. Graduate Program recipients are only eligible for one scholarship and may not compete in subsequent years.
The scholarship funds may be used to assist with tuition, fees, books, and school documented room and board. Scholarships are awarded only to students attending accredited institutions. The funds will be sent to the academic institution for documented expenses and must be used in the academic year awarded. The academic year of the award begins the fall semester after the award announcement. These funds may not be used for prior academic expenses. If selected, AWF Legacy Scholarship recipients are to provide: a) a photograph and a statement for use in AWF publications, newsletter, website, social media, and marketing materials, etc. and b) follow-up information and feedback as to how the AWF scholarship assisted in their education for AWF research and marketing.
The M.M. Costello Scholarship
The M.M. Costello Scholarship, named after Department of the Army Civilian Nurse, Ms. M.M. Costello, R.N., is awarded each year to one recipient who meets the AWF’s stringent eligibility criteria and pursues a major in the healthcare field.
Established in 2019, with a grant from Army Veterans Gail and John Howell, the M.M. Costello Scholarship honors the memory and legacy of the Department of the Army Civilian Nurse, Ms. M. M. Costello. Ms. Costello was John Howell’s early mentor while he was assigned as an Army Nurse Corps officer at Brooke Army Medical Center at Ft Sam Houston, TX. Ms. Costello was a dedicated nurse, who in John Howell’s words, “Taught him everything he needed to know to properly care for his patients.”
Ms. Costello started her career as a Cadet Nurse during WW II and then served as a Department of the Army Civilian nurse assigned to Brooke Army Medical Center. Throughout her continuous service as a Department of the Army Civilian, Ms. Costello treated and provided outstanding care for Department of Defense patients and family members, while mentoring a generation of Army Nurses Corps officers.
Ever the professional, Ms. Costello selfishly volunteered to permanently serve on the evening shifts to give flexibility to other nursing staff members. Knowledgeable, attentive, and exacting in her standards, Ms. Costello epitomized the professional nurse and served as a role model for numerous members of the Army Nurse Corps and civilian personnel. Civilian personnel such as Ms. Costello are the backbone and stabilizing force of our Army Medical Treatment facilities and this scholarship recognizes their service.