Monroe JROTC student receives NROTC Scholarship to Tuskegee University

ALBANY, Ga. – Here at Monroe High School, students, faculty, and members of the community came together for one student’s history making announcement.

Meet 18-year-old Avenn Smith. A JROTC student at Monroe, and the recipient of a full-ride scholarship from the NROTC.

We met with Avenn and asked him about the hardest part of the journey towards the scholarship.

“And, then, I went in for my interview. I had an amazing interview. And, then, the waiting process, the waiting process was devastating, because I didn’t know if I would go get it or I didn’t know I wasn’t going to get it,” said Avenn Smith, Scholarship recipient.

And, Avenn’s parents couldn’t be more proud of him.

“Knowing that you groomed a child into something that you, that everybody wanted the child to be: a model student. So, it’s groundbreaking right now. It’s historic basically,” said Charoski Smith, Avenn’s father.

Smith will receive $180,000 to attend Tuskegee University for full years and be a part of their NROTC program…

With the goal of becoming a Naval Aviator.

And… being able to share this moment with his family means the world to Avenn.

“These are the people that see me outside of school. They see when they see my ups and my down. So, to be able to share this moment with them is amazing, because without them, I wouldn’t have this. So, to be able to share with them is amazing,” said Avenn.

Avenn also wanted to share what got him to this point and what others can do to follow in his footsteps.

“It’s a lot of hard work. You can get anything. I go by this: if you want something, you will make time for it. You do whatever you have to do to get it. Meaning for students of color and for other students as well. If you really want something, if you really dedicated to something, there’s nothing holding you back but yourself,” said Avenn.

Brian Roche reporting.

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