WATCH: ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ Star Adam Driver Surprises a Deserving Military Family with a Scholarship
Adam Driver has won awards for his portrayal of the Star Wars dark side dweller Kylo Ren but, in real life, he is showing off his good side and helping to make dreams come true for one lucky and super deserving family.
What many fans may not know is that before becoming an actor, Driver was actually a Marine but, he suffered an injury which ended his ability to serve. Driver holds a special place in his heart for fellow veterans which is why he teamed up with Budweiser to help deliver a very special scholarship through the Folds of Honor Foundation.
For those not familiar, Folds of Honor was founded in 2007 and its main purpose is to provide support and scholarships to spouse and children of America’s fallen and disabled service members. Driver had the opportunity to deliver one such scholarship to recipient Hayley Williams. Williams’ father was injured just prior to deploying for Operation Desert Storm. After her experience with her father’s injury, she was inspired to become a nurse, however, funding for college was a problem. Williams worked 40-hour weeks in order to come up with the money to pay for her schooling and, on a whim, applied for the Folds of Honor scholarship.
Driver truly appears honored to deliver such happy news to an extraordinary and deserving family. In fact, there is one moment during the clip where Driver just can’t help himself. He becomes overwhelmed with emotion and has to go in and hug the family. It’s adorable, touching and truly heartwarming.
Driver told the Huffington Post about his experience:
“I found the Williams to be an incredibly close-knit and loving family. I understood where Hayley’s father, John, was coming from right away. John was injured right before being deployed. I was also injured right before deployment, so that sense of not finishing your job with the people you started with is something we connected on. Unfortunately, he is left with limited mobility and over the past 20 years, he has received multiple back surgeries to try to help. Despite his injuries, he works incredibly hard as a bus driver to support his family. Hayley’s father inspired her to become a nurse to help people just like him. … I felt very fortunate to be there and to help Hayley take the next step.”
Warning! Make sure you have some tissues handy. You’re going to need them! Check out the emotional clip below.
A karaoke obsessed, craft beer enthusiast and lover of all things pop culture, Denise enjoys all facets of entertainment from Broadway to box office blockbusters. In her spare time, she enjoys photography, concerts (lots and lots of concerts), volunteering, reading and playing with her rescue kitten, Samantha (who rescued who, right?).
