Montgomery County senior Beckham Cothren was surprised when he entered the school’s cafeteria at 8:03 a.m. on Dec. 5 with numerous people clapping for him.

“I really had no clue what was going on,” Cothren said.

Seconds later, Cothren found out that he received a $200,000 scholarship from the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps that will help pay for his education at Texas A&M University next year.

Cothren started applying for the NROTC scholarship in September and finished it last month.

“It’s the best early Christmas present I could ask for,” Cothren said.
Cothren was presented the scholarship from Commander James Lambert of Navy Talent Acquisition Group Mid-America in St. Louis.

“Basically, you have earned the Navy’s trust,” Lambert told Cothren. “We are picking you to be one of our future leaders. Welcome aboard.”

Cothren said he was thrilled to receive the scholarship in front of his family members, classmates and teachers.

“It means everything,” he said. “Being in the Navy is what I wanted my entire life. Now, I’ll get to go to one of the best engineering schools in the country, do their Corps of Cadets and end up in the Navy, one of my life’s dreams.”

Texas A&M is located in College Station, almost 800 miles from Cothren’s home in Montgomery City. Its Corps of Cadets program is the oldest student organization on campus.

“My dad is from Texas, so I was already looking at schools there,” Cothren said. “Texas A&M is one of the best engineering schools in the country. Their Corps of Cadets is rolled around for their precision and their skill and all of the cool things that they do. It seemed like a really good opportunity to start my engineering career and also get Corps of Cadets experience in college.”

Cothren is also looking forward to joining the Naval Academy. A year ago, he was one of numerous high school students from all over the country who attended the Naval Academy’s Summer STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) program.

“I had a lot of family (members) in the military,” Cothren said. “I had family serving in every war from the Revolution to Vietnam. It’s also an incredible organization. My uncle and grandparents were in it. There are a lot of great people there and a lot of great opportunities. I get to travel the world, but I also get to defend a country that I have grown up in and has done so much for me.”

Cothren is the vice president of the MCHS FFA chapter. He also competes in cross country, track and Scholar Bowl.