Brian Wilson really celebrated Memorial Day over the weekend, establishing two Air Force scholarships in honor of his late father, who was a member of the Air Force.
The Michael Wilson Scholarship will be the largest scholarship given by an individual in Air Force history, and will be awarded annually to two airmen or airwomen over the next five years.
The winners of the scholarship must "demonstrate leadership qualities and the ability to overcome obstacles," according to MLB.com.
"It doesn't have to be the smartest students. It doesn't have to be the hardest-working," Wilson said Monday.
In that way, the scholarships not only honor Wilson's late father, but help to reward the sort of hard work that helped him become the star he is today, despite some humble beginnings.
"That's exactly how I got to where I am, so I wanted it to have some sort of link," Wilson said. "I wanted to be able to give money in a certain way where it's not like a donation, but more of a reward."
Wilson also said that he hopes and anticipates that additional donors will help him ramp up the amount of money that the scholarship gives and/or the length of distribution for the scholarship.
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"I want it to be something that continues forever," he said.
Per BrianWilson38.com (where there's more info about the scholarship and links for an application), here are the qualifications required for anyone who wants to apply:
Applicants must be a current Air Force ROTC cadet in good standing, enrolled full time as an incoming junior or senior. The applicants must currently be enrolled in the Professional Air Force ROTC Officer Course program and:
--Attend both the Aerospace Studies class and Leadership Lab each semester
- Be enrolled in full-time study in areas of science, technology, engineering or mathematics
- Have completed at least two years of undergraduate work
- Have a cumulative GPA of 2.8 or better on a 4.0 scale
This isn't the only way that Wilson's involved in the San Francisco community, of course. He's got a pile of different ways he helps out in the community.
But it's also pretty obvious that the Michael Wilson Scholarship -- honoring veterans and his father -- is the one that Wilson feels the most emotionally invested in.
