Seniors Fia Cooper and Raphael de Leon, have received major scholarship awards from the US Navy and Oregon State University, respectively. Fia received the Navy ROTC Scholarship Award and Raphael received the Presidential Scholarship Award from Oregon State University.

A representative from each organization came to campus to surprise the students with their scholarship award during the school day while their classmates cheered and congratulated them for their honor.

When asked about how he felt about the award, Raphael replied, “It was definitely unexpected as I had no clue that I had won such a prestigious award. When [the OSU representative] came in, I thought the recipient was someone else and so winning such a big scholarship was shocking, but also extremely rewarding.”

As student body president and a member of multiple clubs, Raphael is as busy as a high schooler can get. Given all the responsibilities he juggles, being recognized for his efforts has led him to appreciate this honor. “It made me feel seen for all the work I have done these past four years. It wasn’t a scholarship that people could apply for, but it was something people were automatically considered for if they fit the GPA criteria.” The Presidential Scholarship is OSU’s most prestigious and competitive scholarship and is awarded to students who are at the top of their class. To be eligible, one must have a minimum 3.85 unweighted GPA and possess excellent abilities outside of the classroom.

Fia Cooper has been working toward a naval career since the age of 12 when she joined the US Naval Sea Cadet Corps. “The program has given me valuable leadership experience as I moved up the ranks to become the Command Chief of the Portland Division which is a position I am honored to hold,” she said. “I was kind of in shock, but super happy. [Receiving the award] felt really good that all my hard work had paid off.”

Fia plans to attend George Washington University and will be commissioned as an officer in the Navy upon graduation. Raphael, on the other hand, has a few options. “Before receiving the OSU Presidential Scholarship, I planned to attend [the University of Oregon] but winning the award has made attending OSU possible. I still have not fully decided, but I’m super happy about winning the scholarship and I’m definitely considering my options,” he said.

We are proud of Fia and Raphael for their achievements. Both students have shown great strive for academics and service to others as shown through their rigorous coursework and extracurricular activities.