AUGUSTA, Ga. - Sometimes, the biggest battle of being a solider is not on the field, it's raising a family with the demands of the job.

Being an "army brat," or dependent child of any branch can be a challenge as well.  

Constant moving and school changes can take a toll on a social life.

But for three teens here in the CSRA, being a military child has put them on the path to a great future. 

Gerell Glen is only 16 years old, but he is entering his freshman year at Mercer University.  

Glen said, “My father is one of the greatest role models in my life, I deeply aspire to be, to be like him.”

Jerome Lyles Jr is currently working with NASA on stem.  His father, Jerome Lyles Sr served in the Army for 22 years and said he used the basics of what he learned, to raise his son.

“We call them Army values, but I call it just your character, it’s who you are," Lyles said.

Meanwhile, Maria Lister grew up without what most little girls need to learn the basics of life.

"I did not have a mother figure in my life," Lister said.

Lister attributes her being a senior in AU nursing school to the sacrifices her father made.  

Lister said,  “I don’t think there’s enough words. Definitely thank you for everything.  For the sacrifices, the late nights helping me with school work, cause I am definitely not where I am now, I would not be here without him.”

The Mike Murphy Auto Group and the Fort Gordon Spouses and Civilians granted the three teens scholarships, totaling $12,000, for winning an essay contest about what it means to be a military child.