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| By Courtney Llewellyn Reminder Assistant Editor SPRINGFIELD - It has been three years since Nathan Johnson lost his brother Markus in Operation Iraqi Freedom. He continues to keep his brother alive through memory and through the Markus J. Johnson Memorial Fund. Markus dreamed of pursuing a college education but faced with a lack of funds, he chose to join the military instead. Markus holds the distinction of being Springfield's first resident to sacrifice his life in support of the nation's war on terror. He served in the 3rd Air Defense Artillery, 1st Infantry Division of the U.S. Army. "We work the Community Foundation to award scholarships in my brother's memory," explained Johnson. "The goal of his memorial fund will be to give students seeking higher education something to smile about." This year, the awards ceremony for the four scholarship recipients was held at Pine Knoll Recreation Park in East Longmeadow on July 4. "Usually, people mourn the day they lost someone close to them," Johnson said. "We decided to celebrate Markus' life by having his memorial scholarships handed out on America's most celebrated holiday." The mission of the memorial fund is "to be a blessing in the lives of a number of Springfield Public School students who are pursuing higher education, by promoting the value of higher learning and providing financial assistance to economically disadvantaged students," according to the organization's Web site. The criteria for applying to the scholarship reflect Markus' life: the applying student must be at a financial disadvantage, maintain a C+ average or above, be in school and employed and be involved in the community and the church. Each year, graduating high school seniors that have enrolled in college will be considered for two different scholarships. The first is a $500 scholarship that can be used at any institute of higher learning. This year, two of these scholarships were awarded to Keon White and Whitney Jackson. The other scholarship is available to those who enroll at Springfield Technical Community College (STCC). This award includes two full years of paid tuition and fees and a $100 scholarship. Two students earned this award this year as well: Sharon Blatch and Santina Albano. These scholarships are available to students through donations to the memorial fund and the charity events organized by Johnson. Last month, the group held a basketball tournament. In the past, they've held dances and poetry celebrations. "I work and go to school and raise a family, so I know how hard earning a higher education can be," Johnson said. For more information about Markus' memorial fund, visit www.markusjjohnsonmemorial-fund.org. |