According to her, this year B. Karlonaitė was awarded a scholarship of nearly 10 thousand euros. In the future, scholarships will be awarded annually to Lithuanian cadets studying at U.S. military academies, and their amount will depend on the fund’s investment results.
The named fund was established by Colonel Donatas Skučas living in the U.S. with his wife Gina Skučienė. D. Skučas stated that his decision to help cadets was motivated by his own experience.
“I was once a cadet myself. At that time, I lived in great poverty. Conversations with cadets sent to study at U.S. academies reminded me of my cadet days. Therefore, I decided to establish a fund that would financially support incoming cadets,” he said.
The first scholarship recipient of the fund, B. Karlonaitė, studies at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. She became the first Lithuanian woman since 2013 to be admitted to study at this academy.
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B. Karlonaitė said that the scholarship awarded to her is not only financial support but also recognition.
“I am very grateful to have received this scholarship and happy for such recognition. This attention really helps to feel the meaning of these studies, reminds of duty and love for the homeland. This trust is a great honor for me, just as it is a great honor to serve Lithuania and represent it in the U.S.,” said the cadet.
B. Karlonaitė studies physics at the U.S. Naval Academy, also learning navigation and participating in military training. She first came to the academy in 2022 through student exchanges, and after two years returned to Annapolis as a cadet of the class of 2028.
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