The US Army spends almost $300 million per year on ROTC scholarships, but only 52% of those students graduate and commission within a five year period. Resolve Solutions is attacking this problem and making a significant impact.
Eight years ago, Sean Lanier, an Army veteran, recognized this problem and started doing something about it. Focusing on under-represented youths, Sean began attacking the problem seeking to identify, screen and vet candidates and help them find a better college fit.
In 2018, Sean formed Resolve Solutions, a non-profit, dedicated to the mission of placing talented candidates in schools that fit with ROTC scholarships.
The initial results are significant.
Last year Resolve Solutions helped 134 students receive scholarship offers valued in excess of $13 million, and this fall 93 students will start college with scholarships totaling $8.6 million. Each year, five to seven Resolve Solutions candidates secure appointments to one of the service academies. And one to two dozen attend one of the senior military colleges (VWIL, Texas A&M, North Georgia, The Citadel, Norwich, Virginia Tech, and VMI).
More important perhaps, the graduation success rates have risen significantly, particularly at historically black colleges and universities (HBCU), where only 33% were graduating within five years. By finding a better fit, the early results are almost double. With coaching and mentoring, 71% are graduating at Virginia State, and greater than 60% at Norfolk State.
A lifetime of impact
And it doesn’t stop there. Resolve Solutions takes a long view. The lifetime earned income potential of these individuals approaches $1 billion, and opens them to billions in VA loans and additional education through the GI Bill. Truly life changing impact.
Sean Lanier is a 1994 graduate of the Virginia Military Institute. Having gained a love of aviation starting with an air show at age 2, Sean commissioned into the
Army and flew helicopters, with tours in Korea and Bosnia among others. The Army steered Sean to supply chain logistics, and that background along with his “attack helicopter mindset” set the stage for the creation of Resolve Solutions.
The Resolve Solutions mission statement is concise: “Providing educational and financial support along with early college preparation.”
It is a fascinating story with significant impact.
We placed the Spotlight on Sean to discuss his career in the military, his commitment to giving back to his community, and partnering with organizations ranging from local to the corporate level to make an impact with Resolve Solutions.
Visit the Resolve Solutions webpage https://resolvesolutions.org/
Visit Sean Lanier’s LinkedIn profile
On Instagram https://www.instagram.com/resolvesolutionsinc/
Twitter https://twitter.com/resolvesolutio2?lang=en
And Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ResolveSolutionsInc/