CCK Law Child of an American Veteran Scholarship 2025 Winner
CCK Law: Our Vital Role in Veterans Law
The national veterans disability law firm of Chisholm Chisholm & Kilpatrick (CCK Law) congratulates Eric Sirard for winning the 2025 Chisholm Chisholm & Kilpatrick LTD Child of an American Veteran Scholarship. This $1,500.00 scholarship will help Sirard continue pursuing his degree in culinary arts at Johnson & Wales University.
Sirard’s scholarship essay centered on the death of his father, who died by suicide while Sirard was in his early teens. Sirard’s father was a United States Navy Veteran who served on the USS Boston, and his death changed Sirard’s life forever.
Grieving the loss of his father, Sirard struggled to find his place in the world until he took a culinary class at Enfield High, where his father had previously served as chairman of the Board of Education.
Sirard says that cooking “kept my hands and my mind occupied, as well as giving me a goal to work toward. I was finally able to begin to process my emotions. I was able to compete in the ProStart Program, Skills USA, and I even went to Florida for Disney’s Cook Around the World competition.”
Now, Sirard is a junior at Johnson & Wales University. His determination and passion for the culinary arts inspired the CCK Law team and contributed to the scholarship selection committee’s decision to recognize him.
Sirard says that when he considers the future, he thinks about what he could do to make his father proud. He is already a staple in his local community, as he volunteers at his local food shelf, German-American society, and Catholic parish bookstore. After he graduates, he says that he wants “nothing more than to feed people.”
CCK Law applauds Sirard’s perseverance in the face of emotional adversity. Sirard’s ability to connect with his passions, even in the face of immense grief, sends a hopeful message to other children of veterans experiencing similar losses.
Sirard is one of many students to receive the Chisholm Chisholm & Kilpatrick LTD Child of an American Veteran Scholarship. Future applicants can visit the scholarship page to learn about the criteria needed to apply in 2026.
