Brenda Higgs’ journey into healthcare started when she was just 16 years old, growing up in Eagle River, Alaska. She joined the Chugiak Volunteer Fire Department as a junior firefighter, sparking a passion for helping others that has stayed with her throughout her life. Over the years, Brenda has worked in various medical roles, and now, at the age of 39, she’s taking a significant step forward by pursuing her Bachelor’s in Registered Nursing. It’s a dream she’s held close for years, and with the help of the Hope For The Warriors Riding For Warriors scholarship, it’s finally within reach.
Balancing work and school, Brenda is determined
to avoid student loans. With two associate degrees already, she searched for scholarships and grants to make nursing school financially feasible. Her search led her to Hope For The Warriors, and receiving a HOPE scholarship has lifted a significant burden off her shoulders. The Riding For Warriors Scholarship gifts recipients like Brenda funding for multiple semesters, allowing them to achieve their educational goals without interruption.
Brenda’s story is not just about professional ambition. It’s a story of resilience shaped by her military spouse and caregiver role. Her husband, Jimmy, served as a Cavalry Scout in the Army, completing three tours in Iraq. During one of those deployments, Brenda supported her husband and her twin brother, Wayne, who served alongside Jimmy. “I swear I lost years off my life worrying,” Brenda reflects, recalling how she balanced being both a sister and wife to soldiers in a war zone. For a year, she lived in constant anxiety, trying to keep herself busy with school and work while staying in close contact with other military wives for support.
Brenda’s husband Jimmy, (Right)
served with her twin brother, Wayne (Left)
Brenda’s experience as a military spouse deeply influenced her career path. While she had always dreamed of becoming a nurse, it was her years of supporting her husband through PTSD and traumatic brain injury (TBI) that solidified her desire to work in the healthcare field, particularly with veterans. “I do always strive to do my best and be my best, and I feel like the military really instills that in their soldiers,” she shares.
Receiving the Hope For The Warriors scholarship was a pivotal moment for Brenda and her family. The news came at a difficult time—during her father-in-law’s funeral—and brought a much-needed ray of hope. “I cried. I had never received any gift like this ever, and at that moment, I just felt like I was doing what I was supposed to be doing,” she says.
Brenda’s dream is to become a nurse and make a real difference in the lives of soldiers, veterans, and their families. She envisions working at a VA hospital or military base, and her goal is to become a nurse practitioner specializing in mental health. Having witnessed firsthand the physical and emotional toll that combat takes on soldiers, Brenda is passionate about providing care to those who return home “completely broken, not just physically, but mentally.” She wants to be a resource for veterans, helping them navigate the system and find the care they need.
Throughout her journey, Brenda has been supported by her husband, who was just as excited about the scholarship as she was. “He told the whole family before I even had a chance to tell them,” she recalls with a smile. Together, they’ve faced many challenges, but the scholarship has lightened their load and brought them closer to their goal of a brighter future.
Brenda offers this advice for those considering applying for a Hope For The Warriors scholarship: “Be open and honest in your essays and follow your dreams because anything is possible.” Her story is a testament to the power of perseverance, love, and hope—qualities that continue to guide her toward becoming a nurse and serving those who have served.
”Since 2006, the Spouse/Caregiver Scholarship Program has awarded over 250 scholarships totaling more than $641,607.
These scholarships aid in continuing education at reputable, accredited universities, colleges, or trade schools.
Currently, HOPE offers the following scholarships.
- Honorary Scholarship – Awarded to those seeking graduate or post-graduate degree
- New Beginnings Scholarship – Awarded to those pursuing associates and entry-level classes or training
- Restoring Family Scholarship – Awarded to spouses of the Fallen
- Restoring Hope Scholarship – Awarded to those pursuing a master’s or Doctor of Social Work, psychology counseling, or mental health counseling-related field.
- Restoring Self Scholarship – Awarded to those seeking a bachelor’s degree.
Eligibility
Eligibility is based on a spouse or caregiver’s ability to show their post-9/11 service member or veteran sustained a combat-related injury and/or has a 100% permanent and total VA disability rating to include Individual Unemployability. The Hope For The Warriors Scholarship Program considers a combat-related injury to be an injury caused by armed conflict, hazardous duty, instrumentality of war, and simulated war.
Scholarship awards are made payable to the recipient’s institution for payment of tuition, books, and supplies. The scholarship is for U.S. colleges and universities only.
