NJROTC Cadet Amanda Gallo Wins $180,000 Naval Scholarship

Amanda Gallo and her father, Richard (seated), as she signs her letter of intent. Also present were (Standing L-R)
NRD NY Commanding Officer John Skarin, Riverhead High School Principal David Wicks,Lt. Col. Peter McCarthy,
Riverhead Schools Superintendent Nancy Carney, RHS Guidance Counselor Chris Martin and ABFC Colin Louis.

ALSO SEE Articles: Riverhead News Review / RiverheadLocal.com

(December 7, 2011) College just got a lot more manageable for NJROTC Executive Officer Cadet/LT Amanda Gallo, who was recently awarded an $180,000 Navy scholarship to the college of her choice. Amanda was one of just six students in her NJROTC district, which includes Northern New Jersey, New York City, parts of Westchester and Long Island, to be chosen for this scholarship. U.S. Navy Commander John Skarin came to the high school to present the scholarship to Amanda.

“We were looking for people interested in a Naval career,” Commander Skarin explained. “I met Amanda last year during the unit’s Pass-In-Review and inspection, and she really stood out, and I put her on my list for possible recipients of this scholarship.”

Amanda, who will be the NJROTC's Unit Commanding Officer in the second half of the year, has been an NJROTC cadet and leader in the unit for four years at RHS, hopes to attend Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY. She plans to study mechanical aeronautical engineering. Her second choice is Norwich University, a military college in Northfield, VT. Amanda is an outstanding student. She is a goalie for the Varsity Girls’ Soccer Team, a Teeny Award winning actress, an All-County violinist, in the National Honor Society, the National Foreign Language Honor Society, the editor of the high school newspaper, “Riptide”, and has been in the Girl Scouts from 5th grade to 12th grade.

Amanda was overjoyed when she heard the news, as was her father, who is retired and drives a school bus. “I’m so excited,” said Amanda. “I’m trying not to jump out of my shoes. This is so great! I have dreamed of a career in the service since I just a child playing with little green Army men. It’s something I absolutely want to do!”

RHS NJROTC Commander Lt. Col. Peter McCarthy, the unit’s naval science instructor, noted that Amanda was the only cadet in his nine-year tenure at the school to be hand selected for the scholarship. Two other cadets received a scholarship through the application process, and he added that he was hopeful that a couple of other cadets in the unit might be selected later this year.