East Aurora senior win West Point appointment

East Aurora High senior makes history with West Point appointment, $240,000 scholarship

Three East Aurora High School seniors have received a combined total of $560,000 in military-related scholarships school officials announced Wednesday.

Scholarships highlighted awards presented to 180 students on senior honors night at Hawks Auditorium. Eric Seidelman, East career center assistant, said students on the stage earned about $1.5 million combined in scholarships. Graduation was scheduled for Friday, May 23.

Ruby Garcia led scholarship winners with a $240,000 grant for an appointment to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y.

In addition to a check replica, she received a certificate of appointment to West Point from Tim Crawford, East senior naval science instructor.

Crawford directs East’s Naval Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps program, the largest in the nation with more than 1,000 cadets.

Garcia was also recognized as an Illinois State Scholar, academic honors student (achieved a GPA of 3.5 or higher) and silver cord recipient (completed 120 or more hours of community service).

Oscar Magana-Celis and Alyssa Nieves each received a $160,000 Army Reserve Officers Training Corps scholarship from Northern Illinois University.  

Nieves was also recognized for completing 120 or more hours of community service.

Crawford said, “The scholarships all went to well deserving kids who completed a very rigorous screening process.

“It not only included their grades, but their extra-curricular activities and personal behavior.  I am proud that our school and unit had a part in these kids achieving these great opportunities.”

Crawford said Garcia, who will begin basic training July 1, is the first East student in 10 years to receive a West Point appointment. She was recommended by U.S. Rep. Bill Foster, D-Naperville.

Only nine percent of applicants to West Point are accepted. U.S. News and World Report magazine recently ranked West Point as the 11th toughest college to get accepted to.

Fewer students are accepted into West Point than are accepted to the University of Chicago, Georgetown and Northwestern and Duke University.

Garcia ranked sixth in her class. She was the starting goalie for the Tomcat girls’ varsity soccer team,  member of National Honor Society and has performed about 140 hours of community service.

Her goal is to work as a military intelligence officer for the FBI, CIA or Homeland Security. She believes working with one of those agencies will help her to make the world a better place.

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