Captain Jennifer J. Harris Memorial Scholarship
FOR SENIORS
The purpose of the program is to provide $1,000 scholarships in Jennifer’s name to students in their senior year of high school who will be attending a state or nationally accredited college or university in the fall of 2021.
These Scholarships will be awarded on the basis of academic merit, an original essay, awards and recognition, and extracurricular and community service activities. Additional consideration will be given to those eligible applicants from Swampscott High School (Jennifer’s alma mater) or those enrolled in a JR ROTC Program in Essex or Eastern Middlesex Counties. Applications and all supporting materials must be received or emailed by March 30, 2021 and will be reviewed by the Honorable Few Scholarship Committee. This year we will award up to $5,000.
Jennifer J. Harris was a 1996 graduate of Swampscott High and upon graduation from the United States Naval Academy in 2000 was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps. She attended The Basic School in Quantico, VA, and then flight school in Pensacola, FL, earning her Aviator Wings of Gold on September 13, 2002. Jennifer was then assigned to Marine Medium Helicopter Training Squadron (HMMT-164) in Camp Pendleton, CA where she learned to fly the CH-46 Sea Knight helicopter and upon completion of training was assigned to the Purple Foxes Squadron (HMM-364) immediately deploying for Operation Iraqi Freedom. HMM-364 is a legendary squadron known since the Vietnam War for repeatedly answering the call of duty flying in and out of active combat areas where imminent danger was always present. During her time in HMM-364, Jennifer attended The Weapons and Tactics Instructor’s Course (WTI), the Marine equivalent to Top Gun training. Captain Harris was the first female pilot in the Purple Foxes Squadron.
A commitment to serve others was a core value guiding Jennifer and was most evident in her decision to serve our country. As a Marine, she combined this commitment with her sense of compassion to be one of the best CH-46 pilots in the Marine Corps. She performed her duties as a Casualty Evacuation pilot flying in and out of combat areas for the emergency evacuation of injured soldiers and Iraqi citizens, saving countless lives.
Captain Harris served three tours of duty in Iraq and was killed in action on February 7, 2007 when the helicopter she was piloting was shot down.
For a WORD application, click Captain Jennifer J. Harris USMC, Scholarship Application
For a PDF application, click Captain Jennifer J. Harris, USMC Scholarship Application
The application deadline is March 30, 2021.