Senior Corinne Cheramie-White was awarded the 2020 Oscar J Tolmas Scholarship in honor of Jacques Fontan from the Kelly Gibson Foundation in association with the Oscar J Tolmas Charitable Trust. To be considered, applicants must be a child or direct descendant of someone who has served in the U.S. military, have a record of volunteerism in the community, demonstrate involvement in extracurricular activities, and maintain a strong grade point average throughout their high school career.

The scholarship is given annually in honor of New Orleans native Jacques Fontan, a Navy SEAL who was killed in Afghanistan on a mission to disrupt the local Taliban and capture its leader.

Corrine’s mother Cherie White serves in the Louisiana Air National Guard/U.S. Air Force as a Senior Master Sergeant who works in public health training combat medics and runs the Air National Guard Clinic. Corinne’s grandfather also served in the Air Force Reserve, and her other grandfather served in the Army and in the Vietnam War. Also, her great-grandfather is a World War I Navy veteran.

From left to right in the picture: Cherie White, Corinne’s mother; Kelly Gibson, the chairman of the Kelly Gibson Foundation; Char Fontan Westfall, the widow of Jacques Fontan; senior Corinne Cheramie-White; and Vincent Giardina, the CPA and president of the Oscar J. Tolmas Charitable Trust.