Winning the Hero Behind the Hero Scholarship, presented by Columbia Southern University, will allow Tanya Webb of Layton, Utah, to finally complete a bachelor’s degree.
“Finishing my bachelor’s degree has been a goal of mine for a very long time, and I had been constantly searching for a way to accomplish that goal,” said Webb, 40, a mother of two.
“This scholarship will give me the chance to become the first person on my side of the family to receive their bachelor’s degree, as well as being a good example to my daughters on never giving up on your goals,” she added.
The Hero Behind the Hero Scholarship, which honors the spouses and children of active-duty public safety personnel (firefighters, law enforcement officers, EMTs and dispatchers) and military men and women, covers tuition for up to 24 months for one specific online degree program with CSU. The scholarship is awarded through the online university six times a year to two individuals each time.
Webb, whose husband is Col. Patrick Webb of the Air Force Reserve, said she hopes to pursue a degree in business administration with a concentration in information technology.
“A business degree is a natural extension of the administrative work I have done over the years, including some in the information technology sector. That is why I chose a business degree with a concentration in information technology,” she explained.
Webb, who currently works from home for a company in Georgia, has many years of secretarial experience. She said the Hero Behind the Hero scholarship will help her make some far-reaching changes in her life.
“A degree would also improve my life by opening up my career options. Every time we relocate, which is quite often, I struggle to find a position which challenges me, and most of the positions which would help me advance my career require a degree.”
Webb enjoys crafts and recently joined the 419th Anthem Singers.