RELEASE: Two High School Students Receive U.S. Navy Memorial Scholarship

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The United States Navy Memorial is pleased to announce Hope Baxter of College Station, Texas and Olivia Bussey of Rota, Spain as the recipients of the 2025 Navy Memorial Scholarship. Each year, the U.S. Navy Memorial awards $5,000 to the grandchildren of deceased Chief Petty Officers who demonstrate high academic achievement.

Hope Baxter recently graduated from A&M Consolidated High School and will be attending Rhodes College in the fall. Her paternal grandfather, Roger Gregory Baxter joined the Navy in 1968 and retired from the Naval Reserve in 1998 with the rank of Cryptologic Technician Technical Master Chief Petty Officer (CTTCM).

Olivia Bussey recently graduated from Rota High School and will be attending Arizona State University this year. Her grandfather, Cornelius Johnson Bussey, served during the Vietnam War and retired in 1998 with the rank of Machinery Repairman Chief Petty Officer (MRC).

“This is the first year we’ve been able to award the Navy Memorial Scholarship to two outstanding recipients. Both Hope Baxter and Olivia Bussey demonstrated exceptional academic achievement, diverse extracurricular involvement, and received glowing recommendations from distinguished leaders in their communities. Their accomplishments are made even more impressive by the unique and inspiring paths they have each taken. We are proud to support their journeys and wish them the very best as they pursue their college education,” said Command Master Chief Victor Smith, USN, Ret., the Director of the Delbert D. Black National Chief’s Mess.

For more information, please contact Emily Oh at EOh@navymemorial.org.

Hope Baxter

Olivia Bussey