Scholarship award presentation

meh126 said:
Wanted to share my DS's experience.
DS is very private and had only shared with a few people his ROTC scholarship news. His scholarship night was by invite only and he assumed he was invited because of his position as a class officer. He was shocked to receive his certificate from an Army Major who listed the benefits of the award, which they valued at $150,000.
The majority of people in the audience were super supportive and offered him praise and congratulations, however the last several days of graduation events have included several snarky remarks from parents who are struggling to determine how they will finance their children's college years.
Some of the comments were so rude, I'm not sure I can continue my friendships with the individuals who uttered them.
Thanks for letting me vent :) I'm putting on my big girl panties and forgetting about it now!
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I remember when I was in high school I told my mom that I couldn't wait to get out of high school so that I didn't have to deal with drama & cattiness anymore. She said, "Honey, I hate to tell you this, but it doesn't stop just because you become an adult". That was a major bummer to hear and, boy, was she right! We haven't had anyone be blatantly rude about our DS getting a scholarship, but we've definitely gotten some bad vibes from one particular family (according to their father, their kids are ALWAYS the smartest, fastest, & best at EVERYTHING). If you even choose to acknowledge these people that have been so rude to you, you could approach it a couple of different ways. You could say something to the effect that, since your son has chosen to serve his country by being an officer in the military, opportunities became available to him that otherwise would not have been, and that your family has been very blessed by this scholarship. Or you could frame it from the perspective that it's actually more of a loan, than a "gift". If he doesn't complete the program or give the military the 8years he owes them in return for the money, he has to pay it back.

Regardless, only your family knows and will ever understand what your son had to go through to get this scholarship. He busted his butt and shouldn't be made to feel bad about it. Congratulations to your DS and the rest of your family!:thumb:
 
Patriot18 said:
We were very pleasantly surprised last night at our DD's awards night when the Navy representative showed up to present her scholarship award. Since our high school has in the past been less than supportive of the military it was a very nice surprise that they honored the Navy ROTC and Army ROTC scholarship recipients.
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I do not understand this.

What if there was no military, no strong young people willing to stand on our borders, no smart individuals learning to counteract cyber warfare or build infrastructure or military diplomats working with peacemakers on a one-on-one basis at the village level?

I simply do not understand the sentiment from some high school administrator probably making well into six figures daring to criticize my son's choice to serve his country, and his country's willingness to help him pay for an education.

What if there were no academies or ROTC scholarships? Probably the number of smart people willing to serve would drastically decrease. I don't understand how someone could think that would make things better.
 
cajuncarrier and Future2LTMom, thank you so much for your kind words, it means a lot to me :)
 
payitforward said:
I simply do not understand the sentiment from some high school administrator probably making well into six figures daring to criticize my son's choice to serve his country, and his country's willingness to help him pay for an education.
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I completely agree with your sentiment, but coming from a household of two parents in educations, one of them an administrator for a few years, they DEFINITELY do not make well into 6 figures. Sometimes, the administrator's bosses make BARELY into 6 figures.

Still, it is very discouraging that anybody in the school system would be anything but supportive and excited for a student who wants to serve his/her country.
 
EDelahanty said:
I applaud your son's mature attitude. If and when he gets the waiver, this will seem trivial. By the time he's commissioned in four years, it will be microscopic in significance.

On the other hand, some of us remember a years back the bitter disappointment of a career Marine whose son was awarded an NROTC scholarship. It was presented with great fanfare in the form of a giant check at his high schools's award ceremony by one or two uniformed Marine officers, as I recall reading. Father and son had been assured that obtaining a medical waiver for a minor vision issue was a mere formality. The waiver, sad to say, was not granted.
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Thank you, Delahanty! Agreed that if he gets the waiver, the awards ceremony will seem trivial on commissioning day. We don't take anything for granted. I understand the Navy's reasoning. I wasn't mad about it, just sad. My son had his big boy pants on, so it is all good!

Regarding the failure of some to understand a teenager's desire to serve, parents of one of DS's friends questioned why our DS would want to serve when he could have such a bright future doing something else. I decided not to speak for him about why he wants to serve and said something like, "I'm just glad there are people like him who are willing to serve." I am!
 
kayaker said:
Thank you, Delahanty! Agreed that if he gets the waiver, the awards ceremony will seem trivial on commissioning day. We don't take anything for granted. I understand the Navy's reasoning. I wasn't mad about it, just sad. My son had his big boy pants on, so it is all good!

Regarding the failure of some to understand a teenager's desire to serve, parents of one of DS's friends questioned why our DS would want to serve when he could have such a bright future doing something else. I decided not to speak for him about why he wants to serve and said something like, "I'm just glad there are people like him who are willing to serve." I am!
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My DS will be entering his 4th year of NROTC and is currently at OCS. My sister-in-law still questions why he wants to be a Marine and several people I know gasp and question his judgement when he says he wants Infantry as a path to MARSOC. Still burns my butt every time it happens. Some people just don't understand the word "calling". Get used to it, because it never seems to end. Don't know whether to :biggrin: or :unhappy:
 
mfleisher1 said:
I completely agree with your sentiment, but coming from a household of two parents in educations, one of them an administrator for a few years, they DEFINITELY do not make well into 6 figures. Sometimes, the administrator's bosses make BARELY into 6 figures.

Still, it is very discouraging that anybody in the school system would be anything but supportive and excited for a student who wants to serve his/her country.
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Vice principal high school makes around $120k. Principal $140k. Super $180k

Elementary school principal $140k

That said, property taxes are $16k a year so it's crazy expensive to live in the "metro NY area."
 
We had 2 children (three years apart, different high schools and states) who were awarded scholarships, promised AFROTC presentations at senior awards nights and no staff showed up or contacted the school that they would not be attending. It was disappointing, to say the least. I would say that if you get a promise that someone will present to your son or daughter, great--but don't believe it until you see them in front of you standing there with your kid.
 
DS is lucky to have the ROO from the school he will be attending coming in to present the scholarship. We're thrilled about the honor. Question we have is should we do anything to reciprocate? Like a simple thank you card, anything....? Just want to make sure we follow proper etiquette.
 
uwknight said:
DS is lucky to have the ROO from the school he will be attending coming in to present the scholarship. We're thrilled about the honor. Question we have is should we do anything to reciprocate? Like a simple thank you card, anything....? Just want to make sure we follow proper etiquette.
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I think a handwritten thank you note from your cadet would be appropriate....as a parent I would stay out of it.
 
We were very proud parents last night. A local Air Force Officer presented my DD with her AFROTC scholarship last night at her awards night. It was very excited that she could share her accomplishments with her fellow classmates.
 
I was given my certificate and check last night. I got a call last week from the local ROTC unit, asking if they could present me with the check and certificate at an award ceremony. Well, being homeschooled, that really didn't work out. So they showed up last night while my grandpa (retired Air Force, went to AFA) was visiting from California. It was nice and casual, and seeing the full amount for the shcolarship was a little startling. There was a little joking around between the person from the ROTC unit and my grandpa too. Who knew that the Army has more aircraft than the Air Force. ;)
 
Found out yesterday afternoon that DS's JROTC instructor is presenting him ( and two other cadets) their AROTC scholarships at the Senior Awards tonight. I know Major was proud to have 3 three year winners in his battalion this year. DS is going to VMI, one to Citadel and the other North Georgia.
 
WorkforJesus said:
I found out recently that I am getting the scholarship presented to me in a few hours at our high school awards ceremony. I am getting presented an AROTC scholarship, while my twin sister is getting presented with a AFROTC scholarship!!
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Congratulations to you and your sister. My DS received his NROTC scholarship a week ago, and one of his closest friends also received one.
 
I found this AROTC sample scholarship presentation speech:

Being with you today is a distinct pleasure. I am here to present a certificate to (NAME OF WINNER), who has been (conditionally) selected to receive an Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps scholarship. Receiving this certificate is the culmination of a process that began several years ago. (NAME OF WINNER) can be extremely proud of this achievement as competition was keen. ROTC scholarship will provide an annual amount towards college tuition and mandatory educational fees, provide an allowance for textbooks, school supplies, and required equipment. Adding it all up, you can see that this scholarship will go a long way toward meeting financial expenses associated with going to college. But the really great thing about this scholarship is that when (NAME OF STUDENT) graduates, (HE/SHE) will have more to show for (HIS/HER) college days than just a diploma--(HE/SHE) can have the confidence, self-discipline, and leadership skills that come with having earned a commission as an Army officer. Our cadets are trained to accept increasing responsibilities right from the start. I am proud to say that our graduates are leaders, thinkers, and decision makers. As a direct result of their Army ROTC training, our cadets have learned to meet problems head-on and solve them quickly. They know how to adapt to rapidly changing situations, and they eagerly take charge. As you can see, Army ROTC gives students a valuable opportunity to build for the future by helping them earn both a college degree and an officer's commission. ROTC is a demanding and challenging complement to traditional college courses. The standards for admission into this program are quite high-- as they must be since the individuals who complete this training are to be ultimately entrusted with the lives of American soldiers. (NAME OF WINNER) has met these high standards and we are all proud of (HIM/HER).

DS winner of 4 year scholarship
 
This past Monday was our DS' senior awards night. Nearly 100 students received awards from various local organizations and some of the awards were as high as $10k. Well, a Lt. Col from a nearby school was kind enough to take the time to attend and present my son with a certificate for winning a 3yr AROTC scholarship. He offered a variation on the speech above, indicated my son would be attending RPI, and that the scholarship was valued at approximately $150k. There was a slight silence, followed by a whistle or two, and then thunderous applause. The pollen count must have been high in the gym that night, because I was a little teary eyed.
 
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