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. 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 in my 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 six times a year to two individuals each time.

Webb, whose husband Col. Patrick Webb of the Air Force Reserve, said she hopes to pursue a degree in business administration with a concentration in information technology at CSU.

“A business degree is a natural extension of the administrative work I have done over the years, including some in the information technology sector,” she explained.

Webb, who currently works from home for a company in Georgia, said 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.”

CSU offers online associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs in various fields including criminal justice, fire science, occupational safety and health and business administration.

To learn more about the Hero Behind the Hero Scholarship, please call 888-785-3006 or send an email to hero@columbiasouthern.edu. If you would like learn more about CSU, please visit www.ColumbiaSouthern.edu.