The COMMIT Foundation is pleased to announce the Johnny Mac Soldiers Fund (JMSF) is rewarding COMMIT for its hard work to advance the education of our Nation’s service members.

The Johnny Mac Soldiers Fund is an organization inspired by Colonel John McHugh who was killed in action in Afghanistan in 2010 after 24 years of service in the US Army. The loss of a soldier, husband, father and friend inspired a group of patriotic West Point classmates to honor John by supporting veterans, their spouses and children who are in need of financial support to further education.

COMMIT will use the grant to create Johnny Mac Fellow Scholarships for veterans selected to participate in the Stanford Ignite post-9/11 program in need of financial assistance.

In 2014, the COMMIT Foundation partnered with Stanford Graduate School of Business to launch a Stanford Ignite program exclusively for post-9/11 veterans. Over two-dozen veterans from all military branches joined Stanford professors and corporate executives for a 4-week general management certification program in innovation and entrepreneurship. Because of the program’s success, COMMIT and Stanford are partnering for the next five summers to provide this to more veterans.

This weekend, over 30 veterans will arrive on the Stanford campus for the second running of Ignite for post-9/11 veterans. “It is an honor to have the opportunity to carry on the spirit of Colonel McHugh,” says Anne Meree Craig, Executive Director of COMMIT. “The Johnny Mac Soldiers Fund’s gift to COMMIT enables the sustainability of this initiative. It’s an incredible feeling when wonderful people believe in the programs we are building to support our Veterans!”

In addition to course instruction, COMMIT’s Johnny Mac Fellows will all receive career advising, visits to local Bay Area companies, and sessions with hiring managers.