Waupun High Alumni Remembered With Scholarship Of Honor

We are proud to announce the establishment of the Rachel Bosveld Scholarship of Honor.  It will be awarded this coming spring at Waupun High School, where Rachel graduated from in 2002.

Bob and Darlene Nueske have known the Bosveld family for years and were touched by Rachel’s story. She was the first woman from Wisconsin to die in the Iraqi conflict and was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star and her 2^nd Purple Heart on what would have been her 20^th birthday.   The Nueske’s are the generous sponsors of this annual award at Waupun High School, where she graduated from in 2002.  Rachel joined the Army upon graduation.

“Darlene and I have known Rachel’s family since our teenage years.  After Rachel was lost, we always wondered, just what could we do?  As I became closely involved with the Brian LaViolette Foundation, the vision was clear,” Bob Nueske states.  “The Rachel Bosveld Scholarship of Honor means a great deal to us, as we know the community and students of Waupun High School will always remember this brave young woman and also be inspired to make a difference in their life.”


Her brother Craig described his sister as an artist who loved to draw forest scenes, play the violin and act in her high school drama club. She hoped one day to become a graphic artist.

“I’m grateful for the Brian LaViolette Scholarship Foundation and to Bob and Darlene Nueske for making the scholarship possible,” said Marvin Bosveld, Rachel’s father. “She was honored to serve, to be able to go and I was proud to have her serve.”

The Rachel Bosveld Scholarship of Honor will be awarded to a student who plans to enter into our armed forces or into the fields of public safety or community service.  These noble fields include education, ministry, police science, fire safety and medical fields.

“Rachel was a very energetic, happy go lucky, giving person and I think her thoughts were always helping other people in any situation and those who were less fortunate,” said Rachel’s mother, Mary Bosveld.  

We look forward to paying tribute to this amazing young woman every year.

Living with Honor

This past May, Brian’s Foundation established the Sal Giunta Scholarship of Honor at JFK High school in Cedar Rapids, Iowa where Sal graduated from in 2003. It was a very special evening for this Medal of Honor Recipient as he presented the first annual scholarship in his name paying tribute to Sgt. Joshua Brennan and Spc. Hugo Mendoza.

Sal was back in his home town last week for his first ever book signing. Living with Honor was released today. He has now put his experiences serving into a memoir by himself with Joe Layden.

More than 300 people turned out to the Barnes and Noble Bookstore in Cedar Rapids to pick up his new book and hear Sal speak. "I didn't expect this, not in a million years, this is cool,he states. "I think it's a story that needs to be told because us, as Americans, enjoy so many freedoms every single day without having to worry about it personally, but there are people that go out every single day and worry about our freedoms. They worry on our behalf and fight on our behalf and I think that's very important.”

Sal's interview from the Today Show aired December 2nd and can also be accessed here: Today Show interview

Pick up a copy of Living with Honor today at a bookstore near you.