GARLAND, TX  – ILTexas Garland High School senior Victoria Torres received a surprise visit from the United States Marines Corps [USMC] recruiters on Monday, April 11. The Marine Corps JROTC cadet was surprised with a $180,000 scholarship to her college of choice based on her academic performance, community service, leadership, and MCJROTC participation, to name a few. According to Captain Stephen Alexander, the Executive Director of Marine Recruiting in Dallas, Torres was one of 55 recipients of the scholarship out of an applicant pool of 400 across 12 different states. In return, recipients are given a commission to the USMC to become officers where they will be trained and eventually given a unit to lead. 

“Torres was unanimously voted across the board as one that all eight captains across the different recruiting stations wanted [as] one of those future officers,” Captain Alexander said.

For the surprise, Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Fears, Senior Marine Instructor at ILTexas GHS, held practice drills in the school gym which Torres led. It wasn’t until the Marine officers and her parents walked in that Torres realized what was happening. 

“I had no idea this was going to happen,” she said after receiving her scholarship award. “I had been waiting for this result for a little over two weeks now, and I was getting really anxious like, ‘oh my goodness, when are they going to release it?’ Then [during drills] I see the Marines walk in with their blues, and I see my parents behind, and it just hit me.” 

Her parents, Adriana and Christopher Torres, also did not find out about the scholarship until the day of the surprise. They received a message from recruiters the day before asking if they could report to ILTexas GHS in the morning.

“It was a last minute thing and they didn’t say anything else,” said Adriana Torres. The two were incredibly proud of their daughter's achievements. 

“We’re definitely thankful and to God be the glory because if it wasn’t for Him this [scholarship] wouldn’t be happening right now,” Mrs. Torres said. “We’re just so proud of her and all her accomplishments.”

Torres stated she had been thinking about the scholarship for over two years before deciding to apply. 

“I finally made the choice to apply and really try for it and it’s definitely paid off,” she said.

As for her college of choice? Texas A&M University in College Station, which Torres said fell in love with during an ILTexas Road Scholars Trip in seventh grade. She plans to major in construction science with the goal of eventually owning her own company and building homes for people. 

“Knowing that not only am I getting the degree I want, but going to my dream school, plus doing something that I love is incredible,” she said.

Torres, who has been a student with ILTexas since its founding in 2013, credits the charter for helping her build leadership skills. 

“ILTexas showed me ‘what is leadership?’ and ‘what are you going to gain from leading others?’ and also learning how to follow others,” she said. “If it weren’t for the programs that they offer, then I definitely wouldn’t be where I’m at.”

As university acceptances begin to come in, ILTexas will proudly share more stories of our 2022 graduates and the exceptional higher education opportunities that they have earned. Explore ILTexas.org to learn more about how your student can have these same opportunities.