The Official Newspaper for Foster County
The Official Newspaper for Foster County
McCoy Beckley, Alexis Wangen and Wyatt Neuman were presented with the second annual Patriot Award by Andrew Tanata of the N.D. Army National Guard.
At Carrington High School's annual Honors Night Tuesday evening, April 25, a trio of students were recognized for their choice to pursue careers and a cause greater than themselves.
Alexis Wangen, McCoy Beckley and Wyatt Neuman received the 2023 Patriot Award, given to students who are currently, or have stated plans to serve in any branch of the armed forces upon graduation.
The certificates given to award recipients laud the students for having "...chosen the incredibly noble path to serve and protect this great nation... We owe all you and all who serve or have served a debt of the most sincere gratitude possible."
Awards were presented by Sergeant First Class Andrew Tanata, a CHS graduate and representative of the North Dakota Army National Guard.
Alexis is the daughter of Ken and Stephanie Wangen. She is currently enlisted with the Army National Guard, and plans to enroll in Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) at the University of North Dakota in the hopes of becoming a medic officer.
Her educational goals at UND following basic training include pursuing a degree in communication sciences.
McCoy is the son of Tyler and Brook Beckley. Like Wangen, he is also attending UND, and will be enrolled in the ROTC program. His major was not known at press time.
Upon graduation, Wangen and Beckley will commission as Second Lieutenant (2LT) officers with the North Dakota National Guard.
They will both individually receive 100 percent paid tuition totaling $36,948, $10,000 annually for room and board, $600 per semester for books, and a monthly cadet stipend of $420.
Wyatt is the son of Kent and Rae Neuman. He plans to finish completing his Advanced Wheeled Vehicle Diesel Mechanic training before attending North Dakota State University.
Neuman is a Private First Class (PFC) with the Army National Guard, and will be receiving both the GI Bill and GI Bill Kicker Scholarships, which total a nontaxable $28,404 for four years. He will also receive 100 percent tuition assistance from the NDANG, totaling $37,236 for four years.
All of these scholarships are completely stackable with any and all academic and athletic scholarships that the three students have received, all for serving one weekend a month with the Army National Guard.
Last year's initial Patriot Award recipient was Jacob Page, the son of Mitch Page and Nikole Hoggarth.
