CCK Law awards $1,500 scholarship to Johnson & Wales culinary student Eric Sirard

By AI, Created 5:23 PM UTC, May 18, 2026, /AGP/ – Chisholm Chisholm & Kilpatrick LTD has named Eric Sirard the 2025 winner of its Child of an American Veteran Scholarship. The $1,500 award supports Sirard, a Johnson & Wales University junior, as he continues studying culinary arts after losing his Navy veteran father to suicide.

Why it matters: - The scholarship gives financial support to a student whose education and career path were shaped by the loss of an American veteran parent. - The award spotlights the challenges children of veterans can face after family loss and the role scholarships can play in keeping them in school.

What happened: - Chisholm Chisholm & Kilpatrick LTD, known as CCK Law, named Eric Sirard the 2025 winner of its Child of an American Veteran Scholarship. - The scholarship is worth $1,500. - Sirard is using the award to continue pursuing a degree in culinary arts at Johnson & Wales University. - The announcement was made from Providence, Rhode Island, on May 15, 2026.

The details: - Sirard wrote about the death of his father, a United States Navy veteran who served on the USS Boston. - Sirard’s father died by suicide while Sirard was in his early teens. - Sirard said a culinary class at Enfield High helped him find direction after his loss. - Sirard said cooking “kept my hands and my mind occupied, as well as giving me a goal to work toward.” - Sirard said he later competed in the ProStart Program and SkillsUSA. - Sirard also said he traveled to Florida for Disney’s Cook Around the World competition. - Sirard is now a junior at Johnson & Wales University. - Sirard volunteers at a local food shelf, a German-American society, and a Catholic parish bookstore. - Sirard said he wants “nothing more than to feed people” after he graduates.

Between the lines: - CCK Law used the scholarship to highlight perseverance through grief and the ways education and service can become part of recovery. - Sirard’s story also reinforces the firm’s focus on veterans and military families beyond direct legal work.

What’s next: - Future applicants can visit the scholarship page to review criteria for the 2026 application cycle. - CCK Law said Sirard is one of many students to receive the scholarship.

The bottom line: - The award pairs financial aid with a personal story of loss, resilience and a path toward a culinary career.