Lint Center Celebrates Five-Year Milestone

Washington, DC, August 10, 2012 --(PR.com)-- The Lint Center for National Security Studies, a veteran and minority directed, all-volunteer 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, dedicated to fostering the educational development of the next generation of the National Security and Intelligence communities by providing passionate individuals with scholarship opportunities and mentorship from experienced National Security personnel, is proud to commemorate five years of service as of August 4th.

The Lint Center officially became a non-profit charity on August 4, 2007. The Center has approached its vision of growing the next generation of National Security workers primarily by virtue of scholarships, corporate donated goods from Stratfor, and mentorship opportunities to talented applicants. The first five years of the Lint Center has recorded 24 awards, ranging from $500 to $1500, with either the establishment or renewal of nine separate scholarships. Significantly, the Center has also added over 300 mentors to its mentor ranks. A high-profile sponsorship from Stratfor has also been a highlight of the primary offerings to their scholarship winners. A secondary means of growth has been the cultivation of professional outreach, using social media and the development of a budding in-house Think-Tank. This supplemental output has yielded 66 blog posts and numerous published works under the Lint Center name.

“The Lint Center for National Security Studies aids in bridging the gap between members of the experienced National Security community and the future of the community,” said Brigadier General (Ret.) Hall, former J2, Directorate of Intelligence, US Forces Korea; Commander, 501st MI Brigade; Commander, 313th MI Bn, 82d Airborne Division, US Army; current mentor at the Lint Center, and President/CEO of Hall Consulting Services, Inc. “The numbers and growth of the Lint Center over the past five years truly shows the need that this organization fills. The array of knowledgeable and experienced mentors coupled with the Center’s focus on ensuring engagement validates not only the vision, but also the mission of the Lint Center’s work.” Concluding, Brigadier General (Ret.) Hall observed, “It’s vitally important work and it will only increase in importance as the challenges this nation faces become more complex and the next generation of National Security workers seeks to fill our shoes.”

“The benefit of the Lint Center is that it brings such a prestigious and seemingly out-of-reach community--members of the State Department, high-ranking military personnel, academics, well-respected industry professionals--within reach of those trying to break in to National Security,” said Jordan Daniels, winner of the Virginia and Frank Misselhorn Scholarship in 2010. “The breadth of the Lint Center community undoubtedly has opened up opportunities for me to learn and to grow in the direction of my professional interests.”

“The generous donations of our sponsors and namesake donors cannot be highlighted enough, as each scholarship allows us to honor the legacy and to continue the great tradition of those who cleared the path and remain steadfastly committed to follow in the footsteps of honorable national service,” said James Lint, Chairman and CEO of the Lint Center. “Looking back over the past five years, I would be sorely remiss if I failed to acknowledge that the Lint Center’s success is due, in large part, to the dedication and passion of our all-volunteer team. In turn, I would like to thank the members of the Scholarship Selection Committee, the Board of Directors, our public and external affairs team, and our vitally important volunteer outreach teams.”

Concluding, Lint said, “After five years, our mission, our goal, and our driving purpose remains, as it always has been, to Empower, Enhance, and Enable the next generation. May the next five outshine the last.”

About the Lint Center Scholarship Program
The Lint Center for National Security Studies awards well-rounded individuals scholarships, mentorship, and prizes based on the strength of an applicant’s overall application, including: letters of recommendation, transcripts, a pointed essay on Counterintelligence or National Security, a personal essay, and their presence of character. After winners are chosen from the applicant pool, they receive a scholarship check, distribution of an official congratulatory press release, subscription to Stratfor, and an experienced mentor. Mentor backgrounds in the military, intelligence, counterintelligence, State Department, law enforcement or combinations thereof are all represented, with each mentee certain to receive an appropriate mentor matched to his or her careers interests.