REMINDER: Scholarships are due March 1. 
 
American Legion Auxiliary Junior members are the future of our organization. To reward those who retain their membership into adulthood, the American Legion Auxiliary offers the Member Loyalty Scholarship to current college students. Rachel Sampson is a Member Loyalty Scholarship recipient studying architecture with a minor in historic preservation at Mississippi State University.

Tell us about yourself and your connection to the military. 
My hometown is Morgantown, West Virginia. In my free time, I enjoy writing and playing the violin. Both of my parents were in the Army, and that had a big impact on me growing up. I dealt with my fair share of moving and my dad deployed, and those moments helped build me into the person I am today. After my dad retired, we started getting active with our local American Legion Auxiliary Unit 174, and I still do my best to be active when I am home for summer and winter breaks. 

Can you share your interest in architecture? 
I have always seen the beauty in architecture, and oftentimes when I visited a city with my family, my parents would have to pull me along by my hand as we went walking because my head would be tilted up to look at the skyscrapers instead of anything else. I want to work with older buildings, which is why I’m minoring in historic preservation. I want to be able to preserve the beautiful, detailed architecture of the past so that future generations can see it and fall in love the same way I have.

Tell us about additional experiences preparing you for your career.
I shadowed a number of architecture firms in my hometown when I was home for breaks between semesters, and I have done a lot of traveling to look at different areas of architecture. This summer, I went on a study abroad trip to Iceland and Scandinavia (specifically Norway, Sweden, and Denmark). I’ll never forget seeing the preservation work being done at Bryggen in Norway. The oldest building on that street was from 1150 — that’s a kind of age we can’t even fathom in America.

How will being a recipient of the ALA Member Loyalty Scholarship benefit you?
There are a number of additional expenses in an architecture degree — like purchasing software, tools, and model making materials — so this scholarship will reduce that burden for me and allow me to focus more on my studies.

Why is it important for donors to support the ALA’s scholarship funds? 
It’s important for a number of reasons, but especially because these funds directly impact the education and futures of young people, particularly those connected to military families. Additionally, these scholarships encourage recipients to continue honoring their military heritage and contribute to their communities, reinforcing the values of the ALA, such as loyalty, service, and dedication to country.
 

WE’VE CHANGED NAMES
The Junior Member Loyalty Scholarship is now the Member Loyalty Scholarship. 
Have questions on eligibility or how to apply? Visit www.ALAforVeterans.org/scholarships or email Education@ALAforVeterans.org.