Ryan Coram

The 506th Association Scholarship Committee selected Ryan Coram of Chatsworth, GA as the winner of the $1000 NAVILLUS Award for 2015.

Ryan Coram was born in Fort Benning, Georgia, but moved to Ellijay, GA when he was six. A year later, he moved to what he considers his home town, Chatsworth, GA.

After his second year of college, he was involved in a serious automobile accident when a driver of an 18-wheeler ran a red light and t-boned the driver side of his car. Due to this accident, Ryan received a concussion, suffered a traumatic brain injury, and slipped into a coma for approximately five days.  Upon awakening, he struggled with the simplest tasks, such as reading, and he could not even remember the days of the week or months of the year. Despite this accident, Ryan became more determined to overcome this obstacle after an attorney agreed to represent him. Due to this attorney’s actions, Ryan was determined to become an attorney and represent those in their darkest hour and bring relief in an otherwise horrifying part of a person’s life.

Despite this setback Ryan graduated from the University of Georgia in 2011.  After taking a three-year break, he entered law school at Georgia State University College of Law in 2014, where he is involved in the Labor and Employment Society, the Public Interest Law Association, and the Asian American Law Students Association. While Ryan does not want to limit himself to a certain area of the law this early in his career, his greatest interest is in personal injury, labor and employment law.

Ryan is the son of Grover Coram Jr. who served as Assistant Battalion Operations NCO of 1-506 Infantry from January 1992 through January 1993.

The following letter is from Ryan:

Dear 506th Scholarship Committee,

Thank you for selecting me to be a 2015 scholarship recipient. I am extremely grateful to have been chosen, and I truly appreciate your help to bringing me one step closer to becoming an attorney. When I told my parents that I had been selected, they were left speechless and were as thankful as I am for this opportunity. Even more, this is one of the proudest moments of my life to be selected by those who have already sacrificed so much for people like me. Additionally, I would like to thank each and every member of the military, past or present, for helping make the U.S. the best country in the world. Most importantly, I would like to thank the 506th Scholarship Committee for believing that I can actually accomplish my goal.

Sincerely,

Ryan Coram

Joel Everett

The 506th Association Scholarship Committee selected  Joel Everett of Endicott, New York as the winner of the $1000 Marcia and John Lally Service Award.

Joel was born in Terre Haute, Indiana, and grew up in Endicott, New York.  Joel earned a BA at the University of Evansville, in Evansville, Indiana and enlisted in the Army after graduation.  He served three years as a Counterintelligence Agent, was promoted to Sergeant, and deployed to both Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.  He was then selected for the Green-to-Gold Program, and attended the University of Texas Pan-American in Edinburg, TX where he earned his MBA.  While there he served as the Cadet Battalion Commander and the Ranger Challenge Team Captain.

After commissioning as an Infantry Officer, Joel deployed to Iraq with the 2nd Infantry Division and twice to Afghanistan with the Currahees.  He commanded B Co, 1-506 IN from October 2011 to December 2012.  He will depart active duty this summer to pursue a Master's Degree in Public Administration at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.  After graduation, he plans to work as a defense policy analyst.

The following letter is from Joel:

Dear 506th Scholarship Committee,

Thank you for supporting my graduate studies.  Transitioning to civilian life will be a new adventure, and your assistance will allow me to better focus on my studies.  My time in command of Baker Company has been the highlight of my military career, and I am proud to be continue my affiliation with such a distinguished regiment.

Currahee!

Joel Everett

Sarah Preston

The 506th Association Scholarship Committee selected Sarah Preston of Honolulu, Hawaii as the winner of the Eugene and Marilyn Overton Scholarship Award.

Sarah is the daughter of COL David Preston who is a career Army officer and Distinguished Member of the 506th Infantry Regiment. Moving is a part of Army life so Sarah attended three high schools in four years: Fort Campbell High School located at Fort Campbell, KY,  Carlisle High School in Carlisle, PA and Moanalua High School, in Honolulu, HI where she was an honor graduate. Throughout her high school career Sarah participated in Varsity Track & Field, Softball, and Cheerleading. She was a member of the HI-921 Air Force JROTC unit where she obtained the rank of c/Maj and served as the public affairs officer. At Moanalua High School she received recognition for community service and involvement in student council.Upon graduation Sarah will attend Virginia Military Institute where she will major in Psychology with a minor in Mandarin Chinese. After graduation from VMI Sarah plans to be commissioned in the United States Army and branch Aviation.

The following letter is from Sarah:

Dear 506th Association,

I am honored by your decision to select me to receive this scholarship. I can assure you that you chose the right candidate. This scholarship is helping to fund my first year at the Virginia Military Institute where I am pursuing a major in Psychology with a minor in Mandarin Chinese. Your belief and contribution to my success is truly humbling, and I thank you.

Very Respectfully,

Sarah Preston

The 506th Association Scholarship Committee selected Brittany Tryzbiak of Lancaster, Pennsylvania as the winner of the $1000 Currahee Award for 2015.

Brittany was born in Plainfield, New Jersey and grew up in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. She attended Penn State University, received an undergraduate degree, and was commissioned as an Army officer in 2009. She served in the Army for four years and deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Brittany was selected to join the 2-506th during the integration of females in infantry units and held the position of S4 Officer in Charge for the battalion. She left active duty military in 2013 as a Captain and immediately began attending graduate school.

Brittany currently resides outside of Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where her husband, also an Army Officer, is stationed. She attends Indiana University as a satellite student and is a candidate for a master’s degree in social work. Brittany currently volunteers as a social work case manager for Operation Inasmuch, is an administrator for the American Red Cross, and a Victim Advocate for the local Rape Crisis Center. Brittany is an advisory council member for her local chapter of the National Association of Social Work. She will graduate in February 2016 and plans to re-join active duty military as a social worker and obtain a license in clinical social work.