DoDDS student selected as $20,000 scholarship finalist

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Amaani Lyle
  • 52nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany (USAFENS) --  One particular student at Bitburg High School prefers not to be called “gifted.”

Despite the fact that José Tovar is one of 250 seniors -- and the sole Department of Defense Dependents Schools student chosen worldwide among 100,000 applicants nationwide for the prestigious 2004-2005 Coca-Cola Scholar award, the 17 year old contends “diligent” more suitably describes him.

His 4.2 grade point average has already earned him Coca-Cola’s $4,000 Regional Scholarship in the first tier of the award, and this month, he will travel to Atlanta , where he hopes to be among 50 selectees for the $20,000 national scholarship.

Scholars are selected based on a range of criteria that begin with academic achievement and expand to include assessments of their individual talents, determination, leadership skills and social awareness.

“The contest judges were looking for people who were unique to their environment and who fully utilized the school’s potential,” José said.

When José described his response to the contest’s essay challenge, “Describe your community,” his distinction came to light.

“Being a lifetime DoDDs student has made me unique in that I’m an American living in Europe and being exposed to the diversity of the military,” he said.

José’s parents are DoDDs employees. His mother, Elsa Tovar, is a Spangdahlem Elementary School teacher, and his father, José Tovar Sr., is a facilities engineer.

A stalwart champion of patriotism who has already been offered an Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps scholarship, José has spent nearly all of his life living in Germany . Though he has visited the United States each summer, this fall will mark the first time that José will have had full-time residency there.

“Living here, I see the front line of patriotism,” José said. “I see people willing to serve our country.”

Both parents expressed pride in their son’s significance in the school and community.

“José’s recent experiences with international student conferences such as The Hague International Model United Nations and International Student Leadership Institute have caught his interest -- this could lead to a career in international relations,” his father said.

In the meantime, the list of universities to which José has applied include Harvard, Cornell and Georgetown .

“I applied to very good schools, but I don’t consider myself a ‘Rhodes Scholar’ by any means,” he said.

José emphasized that commitment and good old-fashioned hard work have set him apart from his peers.

He has been elected to the National Honor Society in each of the past three years and has earned Awards of Excellence in advanced placement English, model United Nations, honors English, biology and world religions.

One of his teachers, Val McCamish, echoes the praise of José’s other teachers and José’s parents.

“José is truly a product of the DoDDs school system and all the good it has to offer to students,” McCamish said.

The “good” for José has equated to humility and dedication.

“I just have to remind myself that it’s my future, and I have to create it by making time to do the work,” he said.

(No endorsement of any product or organization is implied by the U.S. Air Force or the Department of Defense)