Arlington, VA, April 2024 – Air Force Aid Society is pleased to announce the 2024 Columbia Southern University (CSU) Scholarship Award Recipient is Mrs. Jade Freeman-Carrier.
Freeman-Carrier has been working as an English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher for the past 16 years, and plans to use the scholarship to pursue a MA in Education. She is married to MSgt Paul Carrier, Superintendent, Aviation Movement and Planning Branch, 9th Air Force, and stationed at Shaw AFB.
AFAS CEO Maj Gen (Ret.) Ed Thomas presented Mrs. Freeman-Carrier with the scholarship during a virtual meeting on Friday, April 20, 2024 (pictured above).
“I was really interested in this scholarship program because my background is in education. I moved to the US two months ago and feel like this is now the best time for me to further my education and get an MA so that I am better able to develop my skills in this field,” Freeman-Carrier tells AFAS.
She looks forward to using her new degree to find work as a teacher or a counselor focused on student welfare in the underfunded schools in her community.
“At the Aid Society, we understand that Air Force and Space Force families live uncommon lives, including frequent relocations and the strain of deployments. Though vitally important to the nation, they can also be disruptive to the career and educational paths of our spouses. Our hope is that programs like our Columbia Southern University Scholarship can help,” says General Thomas. “Ultimately, we want to make sure that all of our Airmen, Guardians, and their families have the tools and assistance they need to thrive.”
This is the third year that AFAS and Columbia Southern University have partnered to award this scholarship, which is worth $32,700 and allows for 60 credit hours. The scholarship is for spouses of enlisted Airmen or Guardians on active duty, Title 10 Reserve and Guard on extended active duty, and Title 32 Guard performing full-time active duty can apply for the scholarship each year, which can be used toward obtaining an associate, bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree.