Greg Babcock
Greg Babcock is a U.S. Navy veteran with both an associate’s and bachelor’s degree in public administration, minoring in social work and public health. Greg is pursuing his dual master’s in MSW/MPH at San Diego State University, with the goal of becoming a social worker or counselor for the federal government. Greg previously worked for the Dept. of Veterans Affairs as a medical support assistant and program support specialist where he developed a great passion for helping his fellow brothers and sisters in arms after spending more than six years caring for veteran patients.
Elizabeth Condit
Elizabeth Condit has served in the U.S. Army for 15 years, and is a healthcare recruiter and talent acquisition specialist. Elizabeth plans to apply for MS in disability studies and human development in 2023 and earn a master’s degree. She hopes to further her education by earning her Ph.D. in clinical psychology.
Frank Cramblitt
Frank Cramblitt is the founder and managing partner of Belle Contract Solutions LLC, a service-disabled veteran-owned small business. Cramblitt’s business activities focus on expanding government transparency and accountability to directly benefit Americans. Before entering the private sector, Cramblitt served as an active-duty United States Marine before being honorably discharged.
Jay Farris
Jay Farris is a 26-year Army Special Forces veteran who retired in September 2021. Throughout his numerous deployments, Jay gained an appreciation for cultural competency and training high-performance teams. Seeking to expand upon that experience, Jay is pursuing a master’s degree in sports and performance psychology and he hopes to help people achieve their personal, professional, and academic goals. Jay currently resides with his wife and two children in Whispering Pines, N.C.
Joseph Grillo
Joseph Grillo enlisted in the Marine Corps in 2012. In the fall of 2020, Joseph transitioned from his enlisted service to full-time undergraduate studies at Williams College in Williamstown, Mass. At Williams, Joseph studies philosophy and cognitive science with a focus on theories of mind and cognitive psychology. He hopes to continue this line of work in a professional program following his 2024 graduation.
Roslyn Grizzard
Roslyn Grizzard is a veteran of the U.S. Navy (six yrs) and US Naval Reserve (three years), serving from 1988-1998 as an Advanced X-ray Tech/Hospital Corpsman. Since separating, she has continued a career in healthcare in the medical imaging field, transitioning to health IT about 10 years ago. Healthcare advocacy is Roslyn’s passion and her desire is to achieve an advanced degree in health informatics, health public policy, or health law, ultimately to help the average citizen navigate the intricacies of the U.S. healthcare landscape.
William Hardwick
Jake Hardwick is an active-duty Marine from Brooklyn, N.Y. He has spent two years in the Marine Corps, and is currently stationed in Hawaii with the MARFORPAC Band as a trumpet instrumentalist. After graduating from the WSP-Columbia University academic boot camp in 2021, Jake went on to earn his bachelor’s degree in professional music from Berklee College of Music in 2022. He hopes to earn a graduate degree in archaeology and become a professional archaeologist.
Dante Kari
Dante Kari was in the Army for three years as an 11B and was the primary armorer for his company. A year ago he was medically retired for a back injury and attended the WSP academic boot camp at Princeton in 2022. Dante has a B.A. in English/literature but wants to pivot into a STEM career. He is currently attending community college while working part-time and has a long-term goal of being accepted into a good graduate school and possibly working for SpaceX or NASA.
Michael Kwakye
Michael Kwakye is a biology major and junior at Lehman College, CUNY in New York. He is also a U.S. Army veteran, having served in the New York Army National Guard and as a 68W, combat medic/healthcare specialist. In 2021, Michael was activated for active duty to administer COVID-19 vaccines to service members and civilians, and he found that it was a nice experience in terms of giving back to the people around him. His long-term future goal is to be a medical doctor.
Vanessa Long
Vanessa Long currently holds a bachelor’s degree in applied management from the Coangelo College of Business at Grand Canyon University. She is employed as an accountant and has worked in finance for about five years. Her wish is to pursue a Master’s in Business Administration with an emphasis in accounting and finance.
Lamonte Lyons
Lamonte Lyons is from Los Angeles. He served in the U.S. Army for four years as a (13b) Cannon Crew member. He hopes to complete his bachelor’s degree in psychology and move toward graduate school to pursue counseling. His ultimate goal would be to work with veterans for a non-profit or the Dept. of Veterans Affairs.
Laura Medina
Laura Medina served in the Army as a Pharmacy Technician from 2016 to 2021. A month after separating from the military, Laura returned to school. She earned her bachelor’s degree in public health from California State University, Long Beach; and is currently at Long Beach City College completing prerequisite courses to apply to doctor of physical therapy programs. In the future, Laura will open her own practice and provide care to underserved communities and veterans.
Josephine Merling
Josephine Merling is a retired Air Force veteran who has worked for 25 years in the information technology field. She graduated from Grand Valley State University in 2021 with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management Information Systems1. She is currently starting the application process for a Master of Science in Cyber Security at California State University, Dominguez Hills. Josephine is hoping the DDS Scholars program will help her with the application process, her resume, and assist her with networking and financial aid.
Giang Nguyen
Giang Nguyen loves ballet, nature, and historical buildings. She was an Aerospace Ground Equipment mechanic for seven years in the Air Force. Her desire is to become a medical doctor or physician assistant.
Trinh Phan
Trinh Phan is a junior premed student, pursuing her Bachelor of Science in Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology at UCLA, California. Trinh has been serving as an Operating Room Specialist (68D) in the U.S. Army Reserve for four years. Recognizing the importance of quality health care for the underprivileged and military-connected people, Trinh devotes herself to becoming a general surgeon to serve wounded service members, veterans, and other underserved communities. Trinh is an example of a resilient soldier and a selfless leader who strives to make positive impacts on the community.
Ashley Rogers
Ashley Rogers joined the Navy in 2014 and served as an electronics technician. She completed a seven-month deployment where she visited multiple countries including Vietnam, Thailand, and Greece. She is currently a junior at Old Dominion University pursuing an undergraduate degree in mathematics with a concentration in big data and a minor in computer science. She expects to graduate in May 2024 and plans to attend a graduate program in data science.
Jarrod Romine
Jarrod Romine is a native Texan and life-long Aggie. He graduated with B.A. in political science from Texas A&M University in December 2019 where he studied national security and foreign policy, with a focus on infectious disease and how it relates to U.S. national defense. Jarrod is a Pat Tillman Scholar, was an active member of the Corps of Cadets, and was also selected for a university-sponsored internship with the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services. During his time in university, Jarrod worked for A&M Student Health Services EMS, the Veterans’ Resource and Support Center, and Warrior-Scholar Project. Prior to university, Jarrod served more than eight years in the Marine Corps, deploying a total of four times as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. Now, having worked through the depths of the pandemic in city/municipal EMS, Jarrod’s intent is to shift his experience to the international sphere. He plans to return to school to earn a master’s degree in international affairs, part of a U.S. Dept. of State program for the development of Foreign Service Officers, and earn a reserve commission in the U.S. Navy.
Ekaterina (Kate) Ursul
Ekaterina Ursul is a driven and passionate legal professional with more than 10 years of experience in all aspects of international law, including Eastern European legislation with a focus on east and west relations as it pertains to human rights laws. She is currently a soldier at the 374th Finance Management Support Unit, Army Reserve, which is located in Fort Belvoir, Va. She hopes to work at an international organization such as the World Bank, United Nations, PCA, or ICJ, and is convinced that education combined with her legal and military experience will enable her to contribute to justice and equality in the world.
Nathan Wilson
Nathan Wilson served in the U.S. Marine Corps for eight years where he served as an Infantry Rifleman, Infantry Machine Gunner, and Infantry Machine Gun Instructor. Currently, Nathan is a corporate banking portfolio administrator and has aspirations of becoming a commercial lender. He feels that the DDS Scholars program will help him to gain a deeper understanding of what is expected of him as a graduate student,and how to properly navigate and avoid pitfalls others may have experienced on their own academic journey.