VENTURA, Calif. -- The U.S. Marine Corps awarded the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps scholarship valued at $180,000 to Kyla Rosales, a senior at Foothill Technology High School in Ventura, Calif., April 26, 2017.
“To become a Marine Corps officer makes me feel like I have a lot more purpose now,” said Kyla. “I’ve always known that there’s a place for me in the big picture somewhere, and there’s nothing that I would rather do than serve the community and serve in the Marines. I feel like this is where I belong.”
The NROTC scholarship, Marine option, is a program to educate and train qualified young men and women as commissioned officers in 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 am incredibly blessed to receive the scholarship, said Kyla. “It was a long journey, and it wasn’t easy by any chance. I know this will be the start of something much bigger, and I am super proud to represent Ventura, California and America. This is something I’ve always dreamed of doing.”
Kyla said when she was younger she never really thought about college, but when she started looking into colleges, she did find one that had everything she wanted, which is Oregon State University. If it wasn’t for Kyla taking a chance and exploring different options, she might have missed the opportunity in learning about the NROTC scholarship. As a way to help others learn about the scholarship, she had a few words to share with her fellow students.
“Find something that has potential. Everyone has their own potential, and there’s always going to be a path for you to follow,” said Kyla Rosales. “Take the chance to learn something new. If I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have earned the NROTC scholarship. Even if I didn’t earn it, I still would have learned a lot along the way.”
Kyla is one of the first from Foothill Technology High School to have earned the NROTC scholarship.
“We are proud of all of our students, and Kyla has certainly been a successful student academically here, involved in a lot of activities, and we are really proud of her, as she has chosen to serve her country,” said Principal Joe Bova. “We are proud that she has made that decision, and being able to earn her degree as well, is a great way to go.”
To learn more about the NROTC scholarship, visit http://www.nrotc.navy.mil/apply.html to apply and to see the requirements.