Meet our Scholarship Award Recipients
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Zachary Hampton VHS Class of '23
Lt. Matthew Vandegrift Memorial Corps of Cadets Scholarship Winner
Zack is an Economics major at Texas A&M. During his time at VHS, Zack was a Co-Captain of the wrestling team for two years, voted as the MVP for two consecutive years, and achieved a 5th in State finish his Junior year and a 3rd in State Finish his senior year. Zack simultaneously competed in Taekwondo and won 4 National Championships. Zack’s achievements in sports as well as his academics earned him the Navy ROTC scholarship.
At Texas A&M, Zack is a proud member of the Corps of Cadets assigned to Company P-2 Trident’s. During his Freshman “Fish” year, Zack was the Honor Graduate for the US Navy’s New Student Indoctrination (NSI). Zack was chosen as the Best Fish in Company P-2 as well as Best Fish in the 5th Battalion. Zack earned the level of Distinguished Student for his academics in his first semester and received the highest score possible on the US Navy and Corps of Cadets Physical Fitness Tests.
After spending half the summer of 2024 in San Diego flying T-38 trainer aircraft, driving the USS Kentucky Ballistic Missile Submarine, training with the Explosive Ordinance Team and training with the US Marines, Zack will enter his sophomore year as the Fire Team Leader and a member of the Guidon Family for Company P-2.
Zack is extremely honored to receive the Lt. Matthew Vandegrift Memorial Scholarship. He continues to push himself to be “Second to None” to honor the legacy of Lt. Matthew Vandegrift in the Corps of Cadets at Texas A&M and is looking forward to his service as an officer in the US Navy upon graduation with the goal of becoming a member of the US Navy SEALs.
Leigh Olsen VHS Class of '22
Lt. Matthew Vandegrift Mays Business School Honors Scholarship Winner
Leigh is a Junior Business Honors and Marketing major. During her time at VHS, Leigh served as the President of Key Club and the Co-Coordinator of Relay for Life, among other extracurricular activities.
At Texas A&M, Leigh is involved in Business Student Council (BSC), Freshmen Leaders Establishing eXcellence (FLEX), Fish Camp Counselor and PR Executive for RYLLIES. In BSC, Leigh has served as a member of the Marketing Committee, creating digital and print advertisements for events at Mays Business School. In FLEX, Leigh is a member of the Service Committee, where she has helped coordinate activities benefitting service organizations on and off campus, especially those assisting custodial and janitorial staff. As a member of RYLLIES, Leigh volunteers for Read by 3rd alongside a sisterhood of other Texas A&M students. She also works in the Business Honors Office at Mays Business School, running their social media accounts and assisting in their recruiting efforts.
In the summer of 2024 Leigh was a social media intern at Tubi and hopes to continue her work in the entertainment industry.
Leigh Olsen '26 Texas A&M University
Cecilia Reis VHS Class of '18
Lt. Matthew Vandegrift Mays Business School Honors Scholarship Winner
Cecilia graduated with degrees in Business Honors and Management with a minor in French and certificate in International Business. During her time at VHS, she served as Vice President of the Debate team and Marketing Manager for DECA. Her Senior year, she brought home the first international title for Vandegrift by placing 3rd at DECA Internationals in Atlanta.
During her time at Texas A&M, she participated in the Business Fellows Program Group 39 and served as the Professional Development Coordinator for Fellows group 40. Cecilia got plugged into the over 1,000 student organizations on campus and was President of Women in Entrepreneurship, a member of the RYLLIES Women's Organization, the Evaluation Leader for the Mays Strategic Philanthropy Course, and a member of Aggie Tutors, among other organizations.
Cecilia was officially inducted into the Aggie Ring family in the fall of her Junior year (coincidentally, the same day she turned 21 - WHOOP!). As a recipient of the Business Honors Think Big Grant, Cecilia participated in a reforestation and tropical rainforest research project in Costa Rica. She interned at PriceWaterhouseCoopers as a Management Consulting Intern and studied abroad in France.
Cecilia Reis '22 Texas A&M University
Paxon Porter VHS Class of '20
Lt. Matthew Vandegrift Memorial Corps of Cadets Scholarship Winner
Paxon will be attending Texas A&M University on an Air Force ROTC scholarship. He intends to study Chemical Engineering. He will also be joining the Corps of Cadets and marching with the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band. Upon graduation, he will be be commissioned as an officer in the USAF and hopes to pursue a career in aviation.
Paxon Porter '24 Texas A&M University
Mitchel Stipek VHS Class of '12
Lt. Matthew Vandegrift Memorial Corps of Cadets Scholarship Winner
Mitchel was a member of the inaugural graduating class of Vandegrift High School where he took pride in being part of a community that embodied Matthew Vandegrift's values of service and sacrifice. During his time at Vandegrift, he was an active member of the band, playing percussion and serving as drill sergeant and center snare for the band’s first three years. He was also involved in the robotics program, which led him to travel with his team to St. Louis to compete in the World Robotics Championship after winning the state competition.
Receiving the Matthew Vandegrift Scholarship inspired Mitchel to fully engage in student life at Texas A&M University, where he pursued a degree in Civil Engineering. He was a member of the Fighting Texas Aggie Band and the Corps Marathon Team, volunteered with the Corps Center Guard and the Ross Volunteer Company, and served as an engineering tutor for multiple organizations. In his senior year, Mitchel held the position of Company Commander for B-Company Infantry.
After graduating, Mitchel joined Nucor, an American steel company known for its strong values and team-oriented culture. He has since taken on various leadership roles in both engineering and operations and currently serves as the Production Manager at one of Nucor’s plants in Nebraska. Mitchel is married to a fellow Aggie engineer who also dedicated her college years to the Corps of Cadets. She made history as the first female Corps Commander and was a member of the A&M Women’s Basketball Team. Together, they have a beautiful daughter.
Mitchel said, “It was an honor and privilege to represent a man that exemplified such valor and service. I hope in my own life to honor Matthew’s legacy by embodying these same attributes and inspiring others to do the same.”
Mitchel Stipek '16 Texas A&M University
Zach Collmann VHS Class of '14
Lt. Matthew Vandegrift Mays Business School Scholarship Winner
Zach Collmann is a senior Business Honors and Marketing double major at Texas A&M University. He grew up in Steiner Ranch and graduated from Vandegrift High School in 2014.
"The reason I chose to join the Texas A&M family was the sense of community and family that I felt when I toured the campus, attended TAMU events, and met other Aggies. In the spring of my senior year of high school, I attended a Business Honors congratulatory event where I received my scholarship from the director of the program. I understood this was a great honor at the time, but it wasn’t until Valor Day when I had the chance to meet Mr. and Mrs. Vandegrift that I really began to understand the significance of this scholarship. I had my doubts entering college about maintaining my scholarship and my ability to live up to Matthew’s legacy. However, I simply buckled down and continued to work. As the semesters blew by, I realized that my continued work ethic was exactly how Matthew was able to attain his scholastic success in college and my academic achievements were a reflection upon Matthew’s legacy. I am very proud and honored to live up to his outstanding performance in the Business Honors with my own success. I am now in the process of applying to full-time positions in sales and marketing and to graduate programs in MIS and Business Analytics. Wherever I end up after my undergraduate studies, I will take my lessons learned from my experience as a Vandegrift scholar and do my best to live up to the standard of excellence that Matthew held."
Zach Collmann '18 Texas A&M
Kyle Barth VHS Class of '14
Lt. Matthew Vandegrift Memorial Corps of Cadets Scholarship Winner
Kyle Barth '18 is a 2014 graduate of Vandegrift High School and is a senior Accounting major in the Mays Business School Professional Program in Accounting. He is a proud member of the Corps of Cadets and Squadron 2, otherwise known as Gator 2. Kyle has the privilege of serving as the Commander of the Ross Volunteer Company for the 2017-2018 school year. Outside of the Corps, Kyle has been heavily involved in organizations such as Fish Camp, the Memorial Student Center, and One Army -- Texas Aggie Men United. Kyle is a 2017 recipient of the Buck Weirus Spirit Award and a Texas A&M Foundation Southerland Aggie Leader Scholar.
"My understanding of our high school's connection to Texas A&M was little-to-none as I entered college; once I began to connect the dots, my love for our university was deepened to a much greater degree. This scholarship allows me to continue to chase dreams and give my entire being to everything I am a part of at this special place. It is an incredible honor to not only be a recipient of this scholarship, but to have attended the school named after Matthew. Following his legacy has made my A&M experience even more monumental."
Kyle Barth '18 Texas A&M University
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