The Lance Corporal Eric William Herzberg and Lance Corporal William Taylor Wild IV Scholarship (Herzberg-Wild Scholarship) was established in 2014 at the Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County (CFAAC) by anonymous donors to honor two fallen Marines, Eric W. Herzberg and Taylor Wild IV, both residents of Anne Arundel County. This scholarship awards $10,000 annually to a graduating high school senior from Anne Arundel County Public Schools who exemplifies the Marine Corps values of Honor, Courage, and Commitment, demonstrates resilience in overcoming personal obstacles, and shows quiet leadership in their school and community. Eligible expenses include tuition, fees, books, and equipment for academic or trade programs.
SUPPORT THE HERZBERG-WILD SCHOLARSHIP
Your generous donation to the Herzberg-Wild Scholarship Fund can profoundly impact deserving students, helping them overcome personal challenges and pursue their educational dreams. By contributing, you honor the legacy of Lance Corporal Eric Herzberg and Lance Corporal William Taylor Wild IV while fostering the values of honor, courage, and commitment in the next generation.
The Herzberg-Wild Scholarship supports graduating Anne Arundel County Public School high school seniors by awarding one $10,000 scholarship to a qualified and deserving student each year. Eligible education expenses include tuition, fees, books, equipment and/or tools associated with a specific academic or trades training program.
Applicant must be an Anne Arundel County public high school senior with a minimum 2.5 GPA with plans to enter an accredited 2 or 4-year public or private college or university or professional, technical or trades school in the upcoming fall. Applicant must demonstrate the following:
APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION PROCESS:
Please direct all scholarship application questions to Rosalind Calvin at the Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County: 410.280.1102 x104, grants@cfaac.org.
Eric W. Herzberg was born on June 7, 1986 at Madigan Army Hospital at Ft. Lewis, Washington. Eric was very creative and enjoyed reading books. As a young boy, he would build elaborate designs with Legos and action figures. With a great sense of humor, Eric loved to have fun with his friends and play soccer, rugby, and pick-up football games. Eric loved being part of a team and did not like attention to be focused on him. Extremely proud of his Irish Catholic heritage, his faith in God was very important to him. Eric deeply loved his family and friends and was especially close to his brother and sister.
After high school, Eric felt called to become a Marine, and joined the United States Marine Corps immediately upon graduation. Eric dedicated his life to protecting and defending our country. Tragically, Eric was killed in action in Al Anbar, Iraq on October 21, 2006. His advice to a graduating senior would be, “Listen to your heart and follow what you feel God calling you to do.”
Taylor Wild, IV was born December 17, 1991 in Baltimore, MD. He adored his younger sister and made it his priority to spend time with her whether it was jumping on the trampoline or on a trip to the Baltimore Aquarium. Taylor shared his passion for baseball with his younger brother; they could always be found together throwing a baseball or football in the backyard. He played baseball from age 5 through high school.
Taylor’s mother was one of his favorite teammates whether it was volleyball, bocce, or pickleball, while his father was his role model, and shared Taylor’s wish to join the police department as a career. Taylor can be described by his tattoos that he collected over time. They represent what was so important to him that he wanted to show the world, forever. His first tattoo of a symbol of the 1st Battalion, 9th Marines was to show respect to the United States Marine Corps that helped him build knowledge, be part of an intense brotherhood, travel, and develop the confidence that comes with a big smile.
His second tattoo, a quote from Albus Dumbledore, “Death is but the next great adventure.” offered a glimpse into what was important to him as a kid. When Taylor got his next tattoo of a swallow flying over the ocean, his younger sister asked what it meant. He said “A swallow is a bird that can always find its way home, and this means I will always find my way back to you.” His last tattoo of an Oriole bird represented his passion and his home. Taylor deployed to both Afghanistan and Kuwait. Taylor died in a mortar explosion during a training exercise at Hawthorne Army Depot on March 18, 2013.