On December 28, 2022, the Clinton community, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, and his family tragically lost Morgan Graduate Tanner Matthew Romanos in a motorcycle crash in Newport News, Virginia.
To honor Tanner, his father, Matt Romanos created the Dare Greatly Foundation. This foundation honors Tanner by providing scholarships and recognizing and honoring young people who share Tanner’s admirable qualities: “good character, strong morals, honesty, integrity, respect, a passion for civic duty, volunteering, and helping others.”
By the age of 27, Tanner accomplished amazing things in his life. As he went through his years at Morgan, he was a part of the varsity golf team, which won a state championship in 2013. This was the first year in school history that Morgan’s golf team won the state championship. In high school Tanner made an impact on not only students, but also staff. English Teacher, Leslie Chausse had Tanner as a freshman. She remembers Tanner as a friendly, polite, and responsible student.
After graduating from Morgan, Romanos joined the Air Force in June 2015 and arrived at JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS (JBLE) in January 2019, proudly serving our country as Staff Sergeant. During his time in the Air Force, Romanos deployed to Europe and the Middle East. The Dare Greatly Foundation website states, “He was stationed at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, with the 1st Munitions Squadron, 1st Maintenance Group, and 1st Fighter Wing.” During his time as a Staff Sergeant, he was not only leader and crew chief, but considered a friend and a mentor to many younger airmen. On JBLE, Col. William Creeden, 1st Fighter Wing commander, expressed, “We are deeply saddened by the loss of one of our family members, and I know that pain is felt throughout the Wing and the JBLE community as a whole.”.
Outside of the job he once called home, Tanner had a family of his own. Many articles have stated that in Romano’s lifetime, his greatest accomplishment and proudest moment was being a loving, devoted, and nurturing father to his 4-year-old son Finnian Matthew, his “little man” and the light of his life. Romanos and his son shared a truly special bond. The world was truly touched by the life of Tanner Romanos, through his kindness, sense of humor, and open heart. A Go Fund Me article reads,”Tanner touched the lives of all different people and made the world a better place. He will be missed by so many.”
The Dare Greatly Foundation is not only about scholarships and money, it’s about how you look at life, and how much of an impact you can have on your community. The Dare Greatly founded by Matt Romanos, consists of an advisory board team that volunteers and helps the community on a daily basis. Eric Bergman, former English teacher of Tanner Romanos, is an Associate Director of the foundation. Dare Greatly offers more than just a scholarship. They offer different ways for you to get involved. Involvement includes the Youth Committee, educators, businesses, and more. This Foundation was created to support other young people, by furthering their education and leadership opportunities. “Through this process, we hope to empower a new generation of young leaders who can build a better society,” states The Dare Greatly Foundation. Stressed throughout the entire website is kindness. The Foundation states “Treating others with kindness positively impacts others.” The scholarship offered, expresses that kindness “helps build strong relationships, creates a positive environment, and can improve your own well-being. Tanner was living proof of that.”.All students are able to apply for this scholarship and make a difference in there community. Along with their personal information, students will need the following information to complete
the application process.
- Social Media Profile Handles
- Community service/volunteer information (name of the organization and contact person for each (up to 3)
- Essay submission (no less than 500 words)
- High school transcript
- Two (2) letters of recommendation from a teacher, mentor, or employer (cannot be a relative or family member)
- A personal video stating “What Dare Greatly Means to You.”
See Link for More Information: The Dare Greatly Foundation
