Orion Partners with New Day USA Foundation to Give Scholarships to JROTC Applicants

Earlier this year, Orion Military Scholarship Fund reached out to the leadership of New Day USA Foundation, the philanthropy arm of New Day USA, a nation-wide VA mortgage lending organization headquartered in Fulton, Maryland.

New Day USA Foundation has funded college scholarships to military-connected children for several years, so Orion suggested a collaboration that might meet each charity’s common goal of offering educational opportunities to military kids. New Day USA Foundation agreed to fund scholarships for boarding school if Orion could find children of active duty military families who will enroll in JROTC programs at those schools.

“New Day needed help finding the JROTC kids, and Orion needed to expand its funding sources, so this partnership benefits both organizations equally,” explained Orion’s Vice President of Military Affairs, Capt. Francis Molinari (USN, Ret.) “We’re so proud to be working with the folks at New Day’s foundation, because we’re both committed to serving veterans and military families through educational opportunities.”

Orion’s current member school, Randolph-Macon Academy offers an Air Force JROTC program, so the two organizations are partnering to offer Orion-New Day scholarships to those Orion Scholars who will attend Randolph-Macon as JROTC cadets.

This month, Orion Military Scholarship Fund has announced its First Cohort of founding Orion Military Scholars who will be enrolled in Orion Member Schools in the Fall of 2021. One of those scholars is JROTC Cadet Jonathan Markle, who is the 2021 recipient of an Orion-New Day scholarship to Randolph-Macon Academy.

A screen capture of the video teleconference call on March 2, 2021, when New Day CEO Admiral Tom Lynch (USN Ret.) (left) announced the Orion-New Day USA scholarship to recipient R-MA JROTC Cadet Jonathan Markle (upper right) and his mother, Kristin Markle (bottom right). Also on the call were Orion co-founders, Capt. Francis Molinari (USN Ret.) and Lisa Molinari (bottom right corner).