SEASIDE, Calif.- It's another day of practice, much like the hundreds that came before for senior captain Hayley Tharp and the  rest of the Cal State Monterey Bay cross country team. It's a moderate running day out on the Ord trails which means it's time for casing and racing. The mission-- to pick up more bullet cases than the other squad. The thought behind this is to make it fun and competitive, but also to clean the trails for running. For Hayley, besides an athlete's usual thoughts of winning, one that sits in the back of her mind is that of her grandfather, David Larson, and if the cases in her hand had once belonged to him.
 
The CSUMB campus is located on the former Fort Ord Army base, which closed in 1994. In its heyday, Fort Ord was the primary facility for basic training for the Army. Approximately 1.5 million men and women had received their basic training at Fort Ord.
 
Larson joined the National Guard as a sophomore in high school, back in 1952, and made regular trips to the Fort Ord Military Base throughout his remaining time at Campbell High School. As a member of the Air Force and the 49^th infantry based out of San Jose, Larson would travel down, pitch a tent for two weeks at a time and among other things, work on range firing. At the time, he never would have thought one of his grandchildren would be picking them up.
 
Once the base had closed, a group of military veterans formed the Fort Ord Alumni Association (FOAA) support the university's mission while preserving the memory of Fort Ord. They provide scholarships to current students, particularly veterans, among other activities, and we're grateful for their support. Some of the scholarship recipients are first-generation college students. Just like Tharp, many are the children or grandchildren of soldiers who served at Fort Ord.
 
 For Larson, most of his 12 grandkids have landed in nearby areas, Hayley happened to land at one very familiar.
 
“Attending the FOAA luncheon makes this one of my first times back on the base since 1954,” says David Larson. “What a great thing to come down and see.
 
“It's a very proud and unbelievable feeling. The great thing about having grandkids so near by is you get to see them and be involved. It's nice when they do such a great job and get recognized for it. Hayley excels in school and athletics it's nice for her to  get recognized. I was proud to attend.”
 
Membership in the FOAA is open to anyone who wishes to join in these efforts. Scholarships where presented to 10 CSUMB students at its annual Scholarship Awards Luncheon at the Alumni and Visitors Center on campus.
 “I have had the pleasure to make several presentations at the Fort Ord Alumni Association's annual scholarship luncheon,” says Colonel Robert Furney, the Vice Chair of FOAA.  “The luncheon is always a refreshing and interesting get-to-gather. To see young men and women like Hayley who carry a full load of courses plus the time spent developing their athletic skills is really up lifting to this old college swimmer and pole vaulter.”
 
"The Fort Ord Alumni Association is a special group and we are lucky to have them as partners in education,” says Director of Athletics Vince Otoupal. “CSUMB Athletics thanks FOAA for its continued partnership and scholarship donations.”  
 
Tharp was named as the first ever California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Runner of the Week. She was also awarded the Scholar-Athlete of the Year at CSUMB last spring for having the highest G.P.A. of all the Otter student-athletes.
 
“The Department of Athletics is proud of Hayley associated with FOAA and pleased that she is able to accept the scholarship from them, says Otoupal. “Hayley is one of our truly talented student-athletes; her work in the classroom is top notch as is her work with the cross country team. Hayley is a true scholar-athlete.”
 
“Being able to qualify and apply was exciting and it meant something special,” says Tharp. “It was really generous of the FOAA to donate these scholarships to so many students here at CSUMB. I have plans to go onto grad school so having this scholarship helps me be able to save for future education. It made it much more meaningful having my family there.”


 
Hayley wasn't the only student well deserving of being awarded with a scholarship. Other recipients and their awards included:

Col. Robert Furney and Mary Furney Scholarship: Evangelina Ochoa, Monterey
Merilyn D. Georgevich Scholarship in memory of John Kretzer: Lisa Odenhal, Roseville
Gen. William Gourley and Molly Gourley Scholarship: Cierra Bailey, Livermore
 Fort Ord Alumni Association Scholarship: Gladys Vargas, Stockton
Gen. James Moore Jr. and Joan Moore Scholarship: Glenni Rankin, Redlands
Gen. E.O.C. Ord Scholarship: Ryon Hoffman, Marina
1st Sgt. Willie B. Smith Scholarship: Hayley Tharp, San Jose, and April Medina, Salinas
Gen. Joseph Stilwell Scholarship: Javier Martinez Cabrera, Freedo