We are incredibly proud to share that senior, Luke Christensen has been awarded the coveted $180,000 NROTC Marine Scholarship. Christensen was presented with the award in front of his JPII classmates by Gunnery Sergeant Pennington, Captain Reuben B. Smith IV and Staff Sergeant Gustavo Salazar Jr. of the United States Marine Corps.

Therese Allin, principal of JPII, expressed the school community’s pride in Luke saying, “Luke’s focus over the years has been to become the best person for himself and others. He is an inspirational service-leader for our entire school community.” That description of Luke aligns well with the purpose of the scholarship, which is to encourage “giving back to one’s communities through a career in service to our nation.”

The scholarship is incredibly prestigious and difficult to attain with nearly 2,200 students competing for 400 Marine Corps Option ROTC scholarships. Of the more than one-hundred competitive applicants that applied from Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California and Hawaii, twenty were selected and Luke was the number one overall selection.

Top tier candidates must possess excellent grades, high SAT or ACT test scores, outstanding recommendations from teachers, community involvement, demonstrated leadership, and a strong athletic profile.