Success & Service: Turlock High senior gets 4-year ROTC scholarship

Colby McMann, a senior at Turlock High School, received a four-year, $180,000 ROTC scholarship he hopes to use at UC Berkeley.

Turlock’s program includes 130 cadets, and the Bulldog Company has three nationally ranked teams that will advance to the Navy National Finals on Feb. 13-14 in Utah, competing in air rifle, orienteering and academics. McCann’s scholarship marks the third straight years a Turlock High senior received a four-year ROTC award, joining Bryson Curtain in 2014 and David Tomlinson in 2015. The cadets at Turlock High have performed more than 1,300 hours of community service this year. The Turlock NJROTC air rifle team is ranked No. 1 in Area 13, comprising 13 Western states.

Modestan among Cal Poly students recognized by state lawmakers

Twenty-one students at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, including Mario Espinoza of Modesto, were recognized Feb. 1 for their awards and other accomplishments by state lawmakers on the floors of the Assembly and Senate in Sacramento.

Each has distinguished him or herself as an individual or on a team that has received a national industry award or on such high-profile events as the Tournament of Roses Parade, with its TV audience of 100 million, and the team that raised $600,000 for a net zero solar home that was judged third best in the nation.

Espinoza is a comparative ethnic studies senior in the College of Liberal Arts. He received the 2015 California State University Trustees’ Award for Outstanding Achievement. The awards are presented annually to one student from each CSU campus, to recognize their superior academic performance, personal accomplishments, community service and financial need. Espinoza, a first-generation college student, also received a $6,000 scholarship. Since transferring to Cal Poly from Cuesta College in fall 2014, he has been active on campus as a peer counselor for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning, Intersex and Allies group; co-chair of the cultural club Movimiento Estudiantil Xicano de Aztlán; and volunteer at the Cal Poly Pride Center and MultiCultural Center. In the community, Espinoza is a volunteer event coordinator with the AIDS Support Network. He plans to earn a doctorate in Chicano studies or comparative ethnic studies and pursue a career in higher education.

Christian Public Servants scholarship deadline looming

Application for Christian Public Servants scholarships are due by March 15. The scholarships are in memory of John L. Hollis, a former Modesto City Schools board trustee. Each year, the committee presents several $800 awards to qualifying students who plan to have a career in public service. Scholarships will be awarded on the basis of academic achievement (a GPA of at least 3.0 is required), participation in church and/or other Christian ministries, along with community service. For more information, call Nancy Cline at 209-324-1517 or email randncline@hotmail.com.

This story was originally published February 6, 2016 at 3:11 PM with the headline "Success & Service: Turlock High senior gets 4-year ROTC scholarship."