Operation Homefront and the Women's Self Worth Foundation Announce 2011 Saban Military Wife Educational Scholarship Winners

SAN ANTONIO, Aug. 29, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Operation Homefront and the Women's Self Worth Foundation are pleased to announce the winners of the 2011 Saban Military Spouse Educational Scholarship.  Military wives have long been recognized as the key to stability in a military home, and these winners represent candidates who were nominated from across all the military branches stationed around the world.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110623/DC25541LOGO )

This prestigious scholarship program is funded by a $250,000 grant by the Women's Self Worth Foundation and is aimed at wives of uniformed service members, so they can attend vocational training programs in the medical field.  This year's grant funds eight $8,500 scholarships and two $10,000 scholarships which were awarded for tuition for vocational training in one of the following fields: dental assistant, medical assistant, medical billing and coding specialist, medical insurance technician, patient care assistant/ technician, nurse assistant training program, or medical transcription.  One $30,000 scholarship was awarded for tuition in a vocational nursing program.

Nursing Scholarships
$30,000
Montoya McAllister, Schweinfurt, Germany, Army

Other Medical Scholarships
$10,000
Paula George, Hope Mills, N.C., Army
Mercedes Amador, San Diego, Calif., Marine Corps

$8,500
Sandee Cotton, Nampa, Idaho, Air National Guard
Jennifer Peterson, Blaine, Minn., Marine Corps
Eyvonne Sims, Fort Richardson, Alaska, Army
Sabrina Bianchi, Roseville, Mich., Marine Corps
Cynthia, Seidel, South Weber, Utah, Air Force
Tina Wagner, Cibolo, Texas, Air Force
Jessica Ross, La Plata, Md., Navy
Antaria Thornton, Oceanside, Calif.

Selection of the finalists was made by a panel of judges, and the award was scored in two areas: the applicant's response to the essay question and her commitment to volunteerism.  Candidates were required to be legal wives of active duty service members or National Guard or Reserve component members who've been activated for at least 180 days since Jan. 1, 2008. These winning spouses must be accepted (or expect to be) in a vocational school for one of the covered fields, and she must begin using the funds within one year of receiving them and finish within four.

"Military wives face challenging circumstances – many are forced to relocate frequently and raise children with little support while their spouses are deployed," said Cheryl Saban.  "The scholarships will provide these extraordinary women with the opportunity to develop careers in a highly in-demand field, and in doing so will make a major impact on their lives and the lives of their families and communities."

"Operation Homefront knows how amazing our military wives are.  We see their service and sacrifice to keep their families running, especially during deployments when they are single parents and live with life and death stress every day.  Many are also trying to better themselves through education and training," said Jim Knotts, President & CEO of Operation Homefront.  The Women's Self Worth Foundation's efforts provide an invaluable opportunity to help these extraordinary women realize their full potential and to show our gratitude for their sacrifices."

About Operation Homefront
A national nonprofit, Operation Homefront leads more than 5,000 volunteers across 26 chapters and has met more than 430,000 needs since 2002.  A four-star rated charity by watchdog Charity Navigator, nationally, 94 percent of total revenue donated to Operation Homefront goes to programs.  More information is available at www.OperationHomefront.net.

About the Women's Self Worth Foundation
The Women's Self Worth Foundation was formed in 2009 by Cheryl Saban and is a private 501(c)(3) charitable organization.  The primary mission of the Foundation is to provide grants to organizations that work towards the empowerment and advancement of women.  For more information go to http://www.whatisyourselfworth.com.

SOURCE Operation Homefront