Local student earns scholarship Published June 9, 2011 By Defense Commissary Agency LAUGHLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- Ruben Gomez, store manager at the Laughlin Commissary, recently announced Natalie Flores from Eagle Pass, Texas, as the winner of a $1,500 scholarship. The awarded scholarship is part of the Scholarships for Military Children Program, funded by manufacturers and suppliers that provide products and services for commissaries around the globe. "We're excited to report that the scholarship program continues to be a success in helping military families defray the cost of education," said Thomas E. Milks, Defense Commissary Agency acting director and chief executive officer. "We're proud to be associated with a program that has awarded 5,402 scholarships totaling more than $8.3 million since its inception in 2001." Scholarship Managers, a professional scholarship firm, selects the winners based on academic merit, participation in extracurricular and volunteer activities and the quality of their essays. Scholarship recipients are notified by letter. However, the full list of recipients and sponsoring business partners can be found online at http://www.militaryscholar.org. Nearly every commissary will announce at least one local winner with some commissaries announcing multiple winners. The Scholarships for Military Children program is administered by the Fisher House Foundation, a nonprofit organization responsible for building comfort homes near military medical centers. The foundation bears all costs of the program so that every dollar donated goes for scholarships. The general public has the opportunity to donate to the program through the military scholar web site.