MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif. -- Being a military child means moving around every three years and dealing with your mother or father being deployed for months at a time.  But, it also has it's benefits, as two Miramar family members learned this week when they each received a $1,500 scholarship to a four-year school of their choice.

"Scholarships for Military Children", is open to qualified sons and daughters of U.S. military ID card holders to include active duty, retirees, and guard/reserves that were graduating high school seniors or enrolled in a four-year program. They need a 3.0 grade point average and are required to write a short essay on "how was being a military dependent affected your educational goals."

Stacy L. Perillo, a senior at Mira Mesa High School, was chosen because of her excellent academic standards and her moving essay where she highlighted her father as her source of inspiration.

"My father has made the greatest impact on my life, even when he was away on deployment, getting the letters saying how much he missed me meant so much to me," wrote Perillo. She added that her father taught her well, and that he is a very honorable man.

"The holidays were the hardest, but I'm thankful for what he is doing for our country and thankful to be able to receive this scholarship because of what he is doing," said Perillo.

Ryan Kopke, a senior at Rancho Bernardo High school, also won a scholarship.  Kopke's father is in the Army and also stated that being a part of a military family had its downfalls, but he has also had a lot of fun.

"I lived in Colorado where I got to experience a beautiful side of the country, I've lived the big city life and then I came to California where I learned how to surf and ski," said Kopke.  "I know if I weren't part of a military family, I wouldn't have been able to experience all that I have."

Kopke plans on attending Biola University in La Mirada, Calif., where he wants to study biochemistry and eventually become a medical doctor.

The SMC program started in 2001 and since then nearly 2,000 scholarships have been awarded at a monetary amount of approximately $3 million.  Despite a minimum 3.0 GPA, the average of the 7,000 applicants is 3.8-3.9 and almost all are members of the National Honor Society, an organization that recognizes students who demonstrate academic excellence, leadership and character.