Columbia, SC – Every year Navy Recruiting Command allows commanding officers of each Navy Talent Acquisition Group (NTAG) across the nation to award a certain number of Navy Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC) scholarships to students who perform above and beyond the program’s academic requirements.
Recently, Commander Mark Smith, commanding officer of NTAG Carolina, traveled to Columbia, SC to recognize a high school graduate he selected for an NROTC scholarship.
Steven Morrison, a Hammond High School graduate in Columbia, SC., said he felt very lucky to have learned he is one of the scholarship recipients that Smith selected.
“I was ecstatic,” said Morrison. “It was one of the happiest days of my life. It makes me proud to be an American and to know that the hard work I’ve put in is paying off.”
Morrison also stated his reasons for applying for the scholarship in the first place.
“I’ve always known that I want to go to college, and I’ve always known that I want to be able to serve my country,” said Morrison. “This allows me to do both at the same time. It’s a dream come true for me. Both of my grandfathers served in the Navy, and I’ve always loved the water and being by the ocean so it was a clear choice to me that the Navy is the way to go.”
Smith organized a small ceremony for Morrison in front of the Navy Operational Support Center (NOSC) on Fort Jackson, an army installation, in Columbia, SC.
“It’s hard to find a Navy base in the middle of South Carolina,” said Smith. “But we did it!”
Smith presented Morrison with a “big check,” and formally recognized the graduate in front of an audience of Morrison’s friends and family.
“He’ll come out a different human being than the one you see now,” said Smith, “but don’t you worry he has what it takes.”
Morrison will attend Florida State University and study political science on his NROTC scholarship. Upon graduation he will be commissioned as an officer in the United States Navy.
Navy Recruiting Command consists of a command headquarters, three Navy Recruiting Regions, 26 NTAGS and 64 Talent Acquisition Onboarding Centers (TAOCS) that serve more than 1,000 recruiting stations around the world. Their mission is to attract the highest quality candidates to assure the ongoing success of America’s Navy.
For more news from Commander, Navy Recruiting Command, go to http:’’www.cnrc.navy.mil. Follow Navy Recruiting on Facebook (www.facebook.com/NavyRecruiting), Twitter (@USNRecruiter) and Instagram (@USNRecruiter).
Date Taken: | 05.28.2021 |
Date Posted: | 05.28.2021 15:05 |
Story ID: | 397733 |
Location: | COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA, US |
Web Views: | 294 |
Downloads: | 0 |
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