Each year, high school student-athletes participating in marksmanship programs can apply for monetary support for their commitment to hard work on and off the line of fire through CMP Scholarships. These scholarships can be used to pursue post-secondary education or vocational programs while continuing CMP’s mission of supporting young shooters.
Since 2005, the CMP has annually offered $1,000 one-year scholarships to high school seniors based on academic merit, humanitarian efforts, extracurricular activities, and participation in marksmanship. Remarkably, in 2023, CMP awarded four annual $5,000 scholarships ($20,000 over four years) to the top four applicants, as determined by members of the CMP Scholarship Committee. The scholarships commemorate the retirement of longtime CMP Board members Judith Legerski, Jon Bengston, and Harry Sieben who dedicated themselves to sustaining youth activities, along with the memory of Dr. Carolyn Hines, who was instrumental in the construction of the scholarship program.
Here, learn more about the Top 4 Picked Marksmanship Athletes of 2022.
Charles Bratton–Harry Sieben Scholarship:
Charles Bratton, 18, of Clover, SC, is an Air Force JROTC athlete from Clover High School. A precision air rifle and small-bore competitor, Bratton captained his team and won several national gold medals. He claims the rifle has taught him leadership and collaboration, saying, “While shooting is as much a mental sport as it is a physical one, team success is just as important, if not more so, than individual achievement.” He plans to attend Harvard University, hoping to become a neurosurgeon or work in medical research. Because of his affiliation with the JROTC, Bratton was selected for the Harry Sieben Scholarship.
Emma-Katherine “Emma” Lawrence – Judith Legerski Scholarship:
Emma Lawrence, 18, of Shelbyville, Ky., is a Shelby County High School athlete. In the air rifle and small bore, she has won multiple Kentucky Junior Olympic Women’s State Championship titles in both air and small bore and is also a 4-H state champion. She says that marksmanship has taught her self-discipline, time management, and organization. In the future, Lawrence will attend Murray State University, where she will study law enforcement and compete as a member of the school’s rifle team. Because of her experience in 4-H, an organization important to Ms. Legerski, Lawrence was selected for the Judith Legerski Scholarship.
Allison Zane – Jon Bengston Scholarship:
Allison Zane, 17, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, graduated from Montour High School. A high-powered, small-bore rifle athlete, she helped earn first place in the women’s world team champion division at the 2022 Precision Rifle Worlds in France, among several other regional and national podium finishes. She plans to attend Penn State University’s Schreyer Honors College in the fall while studying engineering, with a focus on pharmaceuticals, with a desire to impact the world through meaningful medical work. Because of her high-powered experience, Zane was chosen for the Jon Bengston Scholarship.
Suman Sanghera – Dr. Carolyn Hines Memorial Scholarship:
Suman Sanghera, 17, of Great Falls, Virginia, is a pistol competitor for NOVA Sharpshooters. She is the #1 ranked 10 meter air pistol athlete in the US and won the 2024 Paris Olympics quota. She holds a national record and has won numerous gold medals throughout the career of her According to Sanghera, marksmanship has taught him poise, precision, mindfulness and perseverance. This fall she will attend Ohio State University as a member of the pistol team and will study to become a medic. Since Sanghera exemplifies the exact ideals that Dr. Hines stood for: a community-involved, intelligent athlete continuing her shooting career through an NCAA team, she was selected for the Memorial Scholarship of Dr. Carolyn Hines.
In addition to the top 4 applicants, the CMP Scholarship Committee chose the following top 20 applicants, each receiving a one-time $5,000 scholarship.
Ella Allen (Brentwood, TN), Emily Buck (Alabaster, AL), Elijah Butler (Austin, TX), Katrina Demerle (Hamilton, OH), Nathan Engman (Albertville, MN), Dylan Gregory (Naperville, IL), Madelyn Lee (Dawsonville, GA), Maggie Mizelle (Sylacauga, AL), Leah Mueller (Iola, KS), Casia Steinhaus (Devils Lake, ND), Ariana Sun (Honolulu, HI), Ryan Wee (Wake Forest, NC), Isabella Baldwin (Nashville, TN), Reese Burnett (Pierre Part, LA), Bremen Butler (Fort Wayne, IN), Esther Moore (Bentonville, AK), Julia Oubre (Acworth, GA), Leo Veatch (Agate, CO), Vincent Xu (Andover, MA) and Samantha Zermeno (Fort Mill, SC).
Learn more about the CMP Scholarships and view the full list of 2023-2024 recipients at https://thecmp.org/youth/cmp-scholarship-program/.
The Civilian Marksmanship Program is a federally chartered 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation. It is dedicated to firearms safety and marksmanship training and the promotion of marksmanship competition for United States citizens. To learn more about the CMP and its programs, log on to www.TheCMP.org.