From One Veteran to Another
Chauncey-Broering Endowed Engineering Scholarship Fund for Combat Veterans
The Chauncey-Broering Endowed Engineering Scholarship Fund for Combat Veterans has a clear objective: “We need to help our combat vets,” says Lieutenant Commander Gregory Chauncey, U.S. Navy, Retired. Commander Chauncey experienced a combat disability as a result of numerous actions as a weapons officer in Vietnam. He says, “The young folks coming out of Navy or U.S. Marine Corps who saw combat action need assistance in getting into college and paying for it.”
As an electrical engineer, Commander Chauncey knows the value of an engineering degree; therefore, when he and his wife, Naomi Broering-Chauncey, established the endowment in 2015, they partnered with the Jacobs School of Engineering (JSOE). This scholarship is awarded to deserving undergraduates with the goal of helping combat veterans become future engineers.
The first in his family to go to college, William Chai ’22 represents everything the Chauncey-Broering scholarship aims to support: a future leader with a keen mind and a wealth of experience to carry him through to a rewarding career and a full life. He is grateful for the scholarship and says he strives to improve himself every day. “I am always finding ways to help others succeed because I believe that leadership is best demonstrated through actions.”
During his five years in the U.S. Navy, William honed his leadership and mentoring skills. He was deployed four times, managed a mentorship program helping sailors advance through ranks, and was twice awarded the achievement medal for leading a division of 54 sailors to three deployments in two years. Before separating due to an injury that caused permanent disability, he was promoted five times, earning the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Service Medal and Sailor of the Year award.
William applied the valuable skills he learned in the Navy to his academic work at UC San Diego and graduated with honors in June 2022. His drive to succeed, combined with his passion for helping others, brings to life the Chaunceys’ vision for their philanthropic investment in our combat veterans.
Student Veterans Resource Center (SVRC)
The Student Veterans Resource Center (SVRC) is committed to the success of our military-connected students. We serve student veterans, military service members, their family members, and ROTC.
