Four Collier County students with military ties are the latest recipients of $5,000 college scholarships from a local nonprofit dedicated to helping veterans find stable housing — while also providing mental health and educational support.
The Warrior Homes of Collier Scholarship recipients include several recent high school graduates as well as a Navy veteran who served in the Persian Gulf War and is now pursuing a master’s degree in industrial psychology.
The 2024 scholarship recipients are:
-Ayden Abreu, a 2024 Lely High School graduate now studying aeronautics at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida. The son of an Army veteran and grandson of a Marine, Abreu is an Army ROTC member who after graduation hopes to serve in the military as a commissioned officer.
-Ali Lagergren, a 2023 Community School of Naples graduate who now attends the Wilkes Honors College of Florida Atlantic University, where she majors in biological anthropology and plans a career in forensics. She is the daughter of an Air Force veteran of more than 20 years.
-Marc Michel, a case manager at the David Lawrence Centers who spent four years in the Navy after his 2011 graduation from Palmetto Ridge High School. Michel earned his undergraduate degree in psychology from Florida Gulf Coast University in 2023 and is now pursuing a master’s degree in industrial psychology from Keiser University.
– Hazel White, a first-year student at the University of Central Florida’s Burnett Honors College studying computer science. White attended Lorenzo Walker Technical College in Naples; their father is an Army veteran who served in Vietnam.
This marks the third year that Warrior Homes of Collier has awarded multiple college scholarships to local students, said Dale Mullin, a Vietnam War veteran and the nonprofit’s founder and president, including a pair of 2023 recipients now studying at the University of North Florida and Florida State University.
The scholarship process, including the selection of awardees, is overseen by the Collier Community Foundation, which annually awards $1.5 million in scholarships to Collier County students on behalf of and alongside generous donors from more than 100 local organizations, including Warrior Homes of Collier.
The award holds particular significance for Michel, 32, a native of Haiti who vividly recalls a 2010 earthquake that killed more than 200,000 people in his homeland — a natural disaster to which the U.S. Navy was summoned, setting in path Michel’s own decision to serve after he immigrated to this country later that year.
Michel is on track to earn his master’s degree in December, with plans to next pursue a doctorate degree and continue working with veterans. In his current role, Michel counsels several residents of Warrior Homes’ Alpha House, a short-term, transitional residence for those in recovery from substance abuse.
“I’ve always wanted to help veterans, since the earthquake,” he said. “I wanted to repay that debt of gratitude.”
For more information about the scholarships, including details on how to donate, visit https://colliercf.org/scholarships/.
The foundation’s scholarship applications for the 2025-26 school year open Nov. 1, with a deadline of Feb. 5, 2025. For more details, visit https://colliercf.org/scholarships/apply-for-scholarships/
About Warrior Homes of Collier
Founded in 2014, Warrior Homes of Collier is a nonprofit organization dedicated to assisting the needs of veterans and their families, with a focus on housing, mental health and education. The vision of Warrior Homes of Collier is to ensure that no veteran in need is left behind in the county. Through its work and efforts, and community awareness and collaboration, Warrior Homes of Collier provides much-needed resources and programs to meet the needs of local veterans who served with dignity and honor.
Warrior Homes of Collier operates four residences for local veterans: Alpha House, a short-term, transitional residence for those in recovery from substance abuse; Bravo and Charlie Houses, which serve seniors on fixed incomes who receive rent subsidies (known as supportive housing); and Delta House, a supportive housing complex with 10 apartments for up to 20 veterans, both men and women.
Beyond providing a roof over their heads, Warrior Homes of Collier also connects veterans with support services such as mental health counseling and peer support through David Lawrence Centers, as well as educational opportunities, including college scholarships. These brave warriors need the support of the community and deserve safe, clean and accessible housing, as well as support with mental health and wellness. To learn more, visit https://wwcollier.org
