Texas High School Senior Earns Navy Scholarship
by U.S. Navy Author
March 31, 2021

America’s Navy awarded the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC) Scholarship to Conner Stevenson, 18, during a ceremony held at Smithson Valley High School in Spring Branch, Texas.

The NROTC scholarship, valued at up to $180,000, pays for the cost of full tuition, books and other educational fees at many of the country’s leading colleges and universities. Upon graduation, midshipmen are commissioned as ensigns in the Navy or second lieutenants in the U.S. Marine Corps.

Stevenson, who serves as one of the school’s Navy Junior ROTC cadet company commanders, plans to attend Texas A&M University in the fall.

“It has always been my dream to become a military officer and one day become a fighter pilot,” said Stevenson, who is attaining his private pilot license. “I would like to fly the F/A-18 or F-35 in the Navy; I watched a lot of Top Gun.”

According to Stevenson, earning the scholarship will allow him to be his best in college which will make him better in the workplace.

“This scholarship definitely provides a platform for me to focus on my academics than worrying about paying for school and assuming debt,” said Stevenson, who served in NJROTC since his freshman year. “I want to thank my instructors for pushing me in the right direction.”

Retired Chief Hospital Corpsman Daniel Hansen, one of the school’s Naval Science instructors is extremely proud of Stevenson.

“Conner is an outstanding young man whom has always wanted to become an officer,” said Hansen, who has been an instructor at the high school for nine years. “He always shows up early, works hard, and helps others. He is going to have a great career in front of him.”

Witnessing the ceremony were members of Stevenson’s NJROTC unit, school faculty, Sailors of Navy Talent Acquisition Group (NTAG) San Antonio, and his parents.

“We are so proud of him,” said Stevenson’s father, J.J. Stevenson. “He has worked extremely hard and put in a lot of effort along the way. We appreciate all of his mentors and the NJROTC program that helped him along the way.”

According to Hansen, who was presented with the Navy Impact Influencer Award, the school’s NJROTC program can expose young people to many opportunities.

“Conner was able to increase his growth due to the leadership opportunities and the community service involvement that he has done,” said Hansen. “A lot of students aren’t aware of the opportunities of being a part of NJROTC can bring.”

The Navy offers several scholarship programs to help pay for school so a person can enjoy a normal college life and focus on their studies before starting a career in the Navy.

Through these programs, a person will enter the Navy in a leadership position as a commissioned officer. Officers in the Navy have responsibilities that include anything from low-level management to the highest levels of command.

Navy Talent Acquisition Group (NTAG) San Antonio’s area of responsibility includes two Talent Acquisition Onboarding Centers (TAOC) which manage more than 34 Navy Recruiting Stations and Navy Officer Recruiting Stations spread throughout 144,000 square miles of Central and South Texas territory.

NROTC Scholarship Program | U.S. Navy | U.S. Navy Gifts | U.S. Department of Defense

Our Valiant Troops | Veterans | Citizens Like Us