Cadet Jayden R. Lee, U.S. Navy

Gary Blank, Director for Scholarships

Michael Lopez

Cadet Michael Lopez is one of the most focused & dedicated Cadets in the Golden Bear Battalion.  He is a General Studies Major, with a 3.577 GPA, from St. Mary's College.  He was recruited into the program as an MS II by other St. Mary's Cadets, and has proven to be one of our best acquisitions.  He immediately impressed both Cadre and Cadets by the effort he invested into learning the material associated with his newly chosen profession.  Cadet Lopez was often seen carrying around his ranger handbook, spending every free moment studying it, and then asking well thought-out questions about the material with Cadre and senior Cadets.  Just reading the information was not enough - he wanted to master it.  

Cadet Lopez is also one of our most athletic Cadets, joining and becoming one of the core members of the Ranger Challenge Team within two months of joining the program.  During our most recent  FTX he finished first in a six-mile Ruck March.  He also demonstrated both great flexibility and judgment when tasked with running online (ZOOM) physical training sessions for a squad of Cadets.  He ran the absolute best Squad PT sessions, delegating and preparing several of his subordinate Cadets to run sessions under his supervision.  His squad, and the Professor of Military Science ended each of his PT sessions absolutely spent.  He set the standard that the remainder of the Program later emulated.        

Early on, Cadet Lopez's exemplary performance and teamwork set him apart from his peers.  He earned a 2.5 year campus based ROTC Scholarship, a scholarship that has allowed him to continue his college education.  Cadet Lopez is committed to a career as an Army Officer, and I believe that any leader would be lucky to have him on his team.

Jayden R. Lee

Jayden R. Lee spent his childhood outside, playing on various sports teams, and in martial arts. Through this, he was able to make many friends and develop social skills.  While attending Dougherty Valley High School, he played on the basketball team, served as an officer of a community outreach club, was a peer tutor, and volunteered for various community service projects.   1All of these helped build experience in talking with and leading other people, as well as time management.   He also works seasonally as a Recreation Leader for the City of Pleasanton, where he coordinates and supervises recreational activities for the community. After graduating high school with the highest honors in 2019, and while attending UC Davis, he applied, and was accepted, to the Berkeley NROTC Unit.