For more than 60 years, the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation (MCSF) has enabled U.S. Marines and their families to build bigger, brighter futures for themselves. Brody Bonczyk never considered a career as a welder before walking into his first Career and Technical Education (CTE) class in high school. Once in the class, Brody discovered that welding was something he was good at and, more importantly, something that he loved and wanted to do for a career.
Brody grew up in Brockport, NY, and is the son of a former U.S. Marine and a former Navy Corpsman. He says that his parents’ time in the military gave them the discipline they needed to be able to obtain college degrees and build thriving careers while raising two young children. Brody’s father earned a degree in accounting, while his mother became a Registered Nurse, and then earned her B.S. in Nursing. Their example prompted Brody to pursue a trade in college to better prepare himself for the future, just as their military service helped his parents prepare for theirs.
That’s where his high school’s CTE program comes into the picture. Thanks to those classes, Brody was able to learn the basics of welding and get valuable hands-on experience. He has set his sights on becoming a Certified Weld Inspector and is prepared to do the work necessary to achieve his goal. He is currently attending Alfred State College in New York, a trade school that has an excellent reputation within the industry, where he has already developed the skills he will need to obtain an entry-level welding position. However, Brody is determined to continue his education and learn more about the science of welding, so that he can become as proficient and skilled in his craft as possible.
“Being able to see the things I help build and knowing they have a purpose is something that gives welding substance to me and is one of the reasons I enjoy it so much. I hope to get out of welding the opportunity to make a difference, and the ability to provide a good life for myself and my family.”
The Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation (MCSF) is helping make Brody’s dream a reality. Since 1932, the MCSF has been honoring those who have served and sacrificed for our country by providing need-based scholarships to their children. To date, the MCSF has awarded over $200 Million in scholarships, which has enabled students from all 50 states and 18 overseas territories to pursue some form of post-secondary education. Nearly half of the scholarship recipients are first-generation college students and 91$ of them graduate.
CAVU’s Capital Markets team is proud to support MCSF and young people like Brody. As part of our Capital Markets Commitment, we direct 10% of all gross revenue from capital markets transaction deal fees to organizations making a difference in veteran communities.