UMGC Global Media Center Author: Sarah Berner Nelson

Being a man taking care of a wounded veteran woman often takes some explaining, said Michael Vyas, one of the four men who were awarded Pillars of Strength scholarships for the first time this year.

When Melissa was introduced to Edward O’Connell in 2005, he was a highly decorated petty officer first class, who served as a Cryptologic Technician Network specialist for Naval Information Warfare Activity at the Office of Naval Intelligence at Fort Meade. He was one of the first 100 cryptologic technicians in the U.S. Navy and a man in demand.

As long as she can remember, Abigail Compton has loved caring for others, but the birth of her first child and her husband’s deployment to Afghanistan meant leaving a career behind to become a stay-at-home mom. And then life changed.

Maryland resident has been her father’s primary caregiver since high school. After excelling at her job at a music venue, she is using her Pillars of Strength Scholarship to earn a bachelor’s degree and advance her career.

David Williams struggled with the culture shock after moving from rural north Florida to suburban Maryland when he also became his sister’s caregiver.

Amber Cerchione never expected to become a caregiver. She met her husband later in his military career and didn’t know what happened in his prior deployments. It wasn’t something they talked about.