|
VENTURA, Calif. – “Ever since I was five, I've wanted to be a
part of the military,” said Jack Beguelin. “In my mind, and from
what I've seen and what I've heard, (the Marine Corps) is the most
elite. If I'm going to be a part of the military, and I'm going to
serve my country, I want to be part of the most elite group there
is.”
The U.S. Marine Corps awarded the Naval Reserve Officers
Training Corps scholarship valued at $180,000 to Jack Beguelin, a
senior at Buena High School in Ventura, Calif., Jan. 15, 2016.
|
Sergeant Weldon Housley, center, and Staff Sergeant Edwin
Salvatierra, right, present a Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps
scholarship check to Jack Beguelin at Buena High School in Ventura,
Calif., Jan. 15, 2016. The NROTC scholarship, valued at up to
$180,000, will pay for the cost of full tuition, books and other
educational fees at many of the country's leading colleges and
universities. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Staff Sgt. Alicia R.
Leaders)
|
The NROTC scholarship is a program to educate and train
qualified young men and women as commissioned officers in
the Navy or the Marine Corps. The scholarship covers 100
percent of a student's tuition costs and also includes a
stipend of $750 to cover textbooks each year.
“I
will be going to Oregon State University, and it is pretty
exciting,” Jack said. “It is all of my dreams coming
together from when I was a little kid. I really wanted to do
this – be part of the military. As I grew up and went
through high school, I decided the Marine Corps is the right
decision for me.”
When applying for the NROTC
scholarship, there are multiple factors taken into
consideration to be competitive for the award. Jack said it
was a tedious process, and there was almost a time where he
thought about giving up.
“There was a point where I
was filling out the application, and I was thinking, ‘This
is a lot of work, and I don't know if I really want to do
this,'” Jack said.
When he communicated his concerns
to his recruiter, he was asked to immediately come by the
office. Jack's recruiter, Sergeant Weldon Housley, and Staff
Sergeant Edwin Salvatierra from Recruiting Sub Station
Ventura met him at their office.
“Sergeant Housley
and Staff Sergeant Sal came in and talked to me, and they
pumped me back up again, and told me I couldn't quit. After
that I was locked in for sure.”
A few weeks later,
Jack received the call from his recruiter stating he won the
scholarship.
“It's one of those moments where it's a
once-in-a-lifetime chance,” said Jack. “I was extremely
excited and so were my parents.”
Principal Bobbi
Powers of Buena High School said she is extremely proud Jack
was selected as the NROTC scholarship recipient, and he is
the perfect person to have been chosen.
“Once he got
this scholarship, and he knew he had it, he went in to see
his counselor, and said he'll write down step-by-step how he
can help others to get a scholarship,” Powers said. “That's
a perfect example of leadership. As a leader on campus, he
definitely stands out. He's very kind-hearted, a hard
worker, and a good student. We are very proud.”
By U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Alicia R. Leaders
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2016
The U.S. Marines
|
Comment on this article |
