July 16, 2002 – Kernita E. David, a 1999 graduate of St. Joseph High School, is the winner of this year’s scholarship awarded by the V.I. National Guard Enlisted Association and USAA, the Insurance and Financial Services Company for the military.
Kernita, currently a senior at Marshall University in West Virginia, is majoring in clinical laboratory science with a minor in math and chemistry. Her goal, said a release, is to become a neurosurgeon or cardiac surgeon.
Kernita is the daughter of V.I. National Guard Command Sgt. Maj. Charles David and Althea Garvey, St. Croix residents. Her father is a member of the Enlisted Association and a member of the 210th Regional Training Institute of the V.I. National Guard.
The $1000 scholarship is awarded annually to a Virgin Islands National Guard Enlisted Association (VINGEA) member, or a dependent child or spouse of a VINGEA member. Unmarried sons and daughters of VINGEA members, spouses of VINGEA members, or unmarried spouses and unmarried dependent sons and daughters of deceased VINGEA members who were in good standing at the time of their death are also eligible for the scholarship.
Scholarships have been awarded to dependents and members of the Virgin Islands National Guard Enlisted Association for the past three years.
The USAA recognizes the significant contributions of the National Guard in support of the national defense and its assistance in the aftermath of natural disasters. Since its founding in 1922, USAA has grown to become a worldwide and diversified financial institution committed to service and education. Funding scholarship programs that promote leadership development and academic achievement is one way that USAA continues to support the needs of military personnel and their families.
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