As many as 300 new higher education scholarships will be created for children of Marines and Navy Corpsmen over the next five years as a result of an additional $1.35 million contribution from Toyota to the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation, the nation’s oldest and largest provider of need-based scholarships for military children. Toyota has supported the Scholarship Foundation since 2004, and today’s gift brings Toyota’s total investment in the Foundation to more than $3 million.

 

“Marine and Navy Corpsmen make legendary sacrifices every day. Sending their children to college shouldn’t be one of them,” says Margaret B. Davis, president and CEO, Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation. “Toyota’s expanded commitment will help ensure that the Scholarship Foundation can continue to award a scholarship to every eligible child who applies. The investment that the company is making in these students is an investment in our next generation of leaders. We deeply appreciate Toyota’s generosity and its long-standing commitment to our military and education.”

 

San Diego-Area Scholarship Recipients Honored

Scholarship recipients Andrew Coba of Oceanside, CA and sisters Elleine Sanchez and Ellysa Aquino of Fallbrook, CA were honored by Toyota during a special event aboard the USS Midway in San Diego. This event was part of the opening reception of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials’ (NALEO) 31st Annual Conference.

 

Andrew Coba is the son of Captain Javier Coba USMC. When Andrew was three years old, his father came to the U.S., enlisted in the Marine Corps, and gained his citizenship. Capt. Coba later moved his family to the U.S. and was commissioned an officer. Andrew credits his father, who has served for 18 years, for his drive to succeed. Both Andrew and his sister Amy, also a Scholarship Foundation scholarship recipient, are working hard to meet the high-bar their father has set.

 

Sisters and scholarship recipients Elleine Sanchez and Ellysa Aquino credit their father, Gunnery Sergeant Pedro Aquino USMC, for their commitment to education and their drive to succeed. Gunnery Sgt. Aquino came to the U.S. from El Salvador as a young boy. In high school, Marine Corps recruiters gained his attention and he enlisted following his senior year. A Wounded Warrior, Gunnery Sgt. Aquino has served Country and Corps for nearly 20 years, including five combat deployments. He is battling post-traumatic stress, and with the support of the Marine Corps Wounded Warrior Battalion, has learned to cope with his ailment.

 

“It’s an honor to be able to give back to the Marine and Navy families who have sacrificed so much for all of us,” says Michael Rouse, vice president, diversity, philanthropy and community affairs for Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. “Higher education is a valuable and lifelong investment and we’re pleased to be able to help lessen the financial burden for the children of our nation’s military families.”

 

Toyota has supported the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation since 2004, and today’s gift brings Toyota’s total giving to the Foundation to more than $3 million. The company currently supports 16 scholarship recipients each year through a $1.65 million endowment it established with the Foundation in 2004. Toyota’s pledge to the Scholarship Foundation is an important part of the company’s ongoing commitment to service members. Toyota is also an active participant in the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s nationwide Hiring Our Heroes program.