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The Shane Epperson Endowed Memorial Scholarship was created in 2012 to provide scholarship assistance to members of the United States Armed Forces. The scholarship is awarded to current or former enlisted members of the US Armed Forces who are Texas residents and have a minimum GPA of 3.5 as an undergraduate student.
This scholarship was established in memory of Petty Officer Second Class Shane A. Epperson, a young man who grew up in Ingleside, TX and enlisted in the Navy in 2005. While Mr. Epperson excelled in the Navy, earning the Navy & Marine Corps Achievement Medal, the Navy Good Conduct Medal, the Navy Expeditionary Medal, the National Defense Service Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, his ultimate goal was to enroll in the UT Health Science Center San Antonio Dental School and become an oral health care professional. Sadly for us, and all his family and friends, Shane passed away in 2009 at the age of 21 before having the chance to come to school here in San Antonio.
As it was Shane's dream to become a student here in the Dental School, his close friend, Petty Officer First Class Brian W. Chase, donated funds for a scholarship in Shane's name. In March 2012, Brian's gift of $10,000 was made to the Dental School and the Shane Epperson Endowed Memorial Scholarship was established.
When asked to share something about his friend Shane, Mr. Chase said that he was “one of the most genuine and kind hearted people I have ever met. He never hesitated to drop whatever he was immersed in to help another in need. He always had a smile on his face and everyone who spent time with him had their day brightened immeasurably. The sudden and untimely death of such an intelligent and upstanding young man was a tragedy, compounded by the loss of his promising future.” By establishing this scholarship in Shane’s memory, Mr. Chase wants to ensure that other promising students have the opportunity to fulfill their potential, an opportunity that was denied to Shane. To the future recipients, he hopes that “the path towards your dream is made easier with this help from Shane. He was there for his friends and family when they needed him and now he is here for you.”
Please email or phone Alex Castañeda, Director of Development in the School of Dentistry, at 210.567-6536 for additional information.
Office of Institutional Advancement7703 Floyd Curl Drive MC 7835San Antonio, TX 78229-3900
Please make all checks payable to UT Health San Antonio and include the area or designation you wish to support on the memo line.