James and Jacqueline Thomson, a married couple from Scotland who support U.S. military students through the Zapletal Charitable Trust Scholarship, visited the Cal State San Bernardino campus on Oct. 30, and met some of the scholarship recipients whose lives have been impacted through their philanthropy.During their visit, the Thomsons visited the Veterans Success Center where they received a tour and were introduced to staff and services. They also had the opportunity to talk to Andreas Kossak, program coordinator of the center’s Written by Veterans, and meet with students, ROTC cadets, dependents, reservists and guard members.The couple also enjoyed a lunch with Kimberly Shiner, associate vice president of University Development; Erika Quiñonez, senior donor relations officer; Nicholas Aguilera, first Lt., USAF and assistant professor of aerospace studies; and several recipients of the Zapletal Charitable Trust Scholarship. Mr. Thomson and the students spent their time exchanging stories about their experiences in the armed forces.Mr. Thomson served in the Royal Marines, one of the five fighting arms or branches of the Royal Navy, which influenced him to establish the Zapletal Charitable Trust Scholarship. The family scholarship was established in 2010 to support U.S. military students and students whose families served in any branch of the United Stated armed forces.To date, 75 students have received Zapletal Charitable Trust Scholarships, more than $337,000 has been distributed in scholarships, and 57 Zapletal scholarship recipients have graduated. An endowed scholarship, the Zapletal Charitable Trust Endowed Scholarship, was recently established to expand support in this area.

To learn more about military and veteran services on campus, visit the Military/Veterans Corner