Officers’ Spouses’ Club gives back to Yokota

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Katrina R. Menchaca
  • 374th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan --  Although often thought of as a social organization, the Yokota Officers' Spouses' Club gives back to the Yokota community by paving the way for the next generation.

By volunteering countless hours towards fund raisers, the members of the YOSC are able to earn thousands of dollars for programs like Special Olympics, the Yokota Library Summer Reading program, and the Air Force Charity Ball.

Most recently the members of the YOSC awarded eight students from the Yokota community with scholarships amounting to ten thousand dollars here May 24.

Award recipients and their families were treated to a dinner and scholarship presentation in their honor.

The winners, four Air Force spouses and four High School seniors, were recognized for their individual academic and civic achievements.

"The Yokota Officers' Spouses' Club takes great pleasure in supporting the local community and feels that highlighting the importance of education is one way to do this," said Mrs. Nancy Feather, wife of Col. Otto Feather, 374th Airlift Wing commander, and YOSC advisor.

The amount of the scholarship varies from year to year.

Each Air Force spouse will use their scholarships toward pursuing their degrees, Rebecka Lane, was awarded $2,000; while Rachel Brandenburg, Gina Chance and Sarah Maley, each received $1,000.

The high school seniors will use the scholarships toward their college tuition this fall. Leah Panaziwicz, was awarded $2,000; while Devin Day, Ashley Millagracia and Joyve Shimabukuro, each earned $1,000.

All spouses and high school seniors are eligible for the YOSC scholarship program.

"You could be active duty dual military and both the husband and the wife can apply," said Suzie Lezaun, YOSC president. "The scholarship is available to SOFA sponsored civilians as well. The major requirement is you have to be a spouse."

Mrs. Lezaun said the biggest reason that the YOSC gives these scholarships away is to help defray the costs of college tuition for high school seniors who, because of their military lifestyle, may find it hard to obtain other scholarships.

"The military moves members around so much that if a student is in the top ranking of their class in one school, they can move and lose that ranking if they don't make the cutoff date.

She continued, "Every state and every district has a different cutoff date, it is hard for those students to maintain that ranking."

Although the scholarships are a driving force for the many hours that the members of the YOSC put into their fund raisers, it is not the only way they give back.

This year alone, the YOSC has given more than $24,000 directly to Team Yokota through various charitable organizations such as scout troops, annual awards banquets, Yokota parent teacher organizations and Operation Warm Heart.

In addition, they YOSC donated $20,000 to the Japanese Earthquake/Tsunami Relief fund in an effort to help the Japanese community recover from the March 11th disaster.

For Mrs. Feather giving back is not just about helping.

"Giving away educational scholarships helps to develop our young family members, whether a high school senior or a military spouse, and it is part of a larger atmosphere of caring that Team Yokota is so noted for," said Mrs. Feather.

For more information on the YOSC and the scholarship program visit www.yosc.org.