To walk straight out of high school knowing that college is paid for is something only few can experience. For senior Graci Bettendorf, this is her reality.

Attending Virginia Tech in the fall, Bettendorf will be receiving an Army scholarship to pay for her education.

Bettendorf originally found out about the scholarship from Major Farese in Wando’s JROTC unit.

“I went online and it was basically a college application just for a scholarship,” Bettendorf said.  “There’s an interview process and an athletic process, so it’s a good five months of trying to get the scholarship.”

As a recipient of the scholarship from the Army, many of her fees and tuition will be paid for.

“It includes all tuition, all fees, transportation, so I get money to take a plane ride if I need to get back home, book fees, uniform fees, basically. It doesn’t cover housing and food. That’s it. But, I got another scholarship from Virginia Tech that will cover all of that,” Bettendorf said.

On the Army scholarship, Bettendorf can explore different career opportunities within the service.

“I want to go into the Army, maybe to fly helicopters or work in the psychological unit. I haven’t really decided between the two yet,” Bettendorf said.

Bettendorf hopes to gain experience and knowledge about the military. .  

“I’m going to look forward into going into the military and meeting everyone that is in the ROTC unit,” Bettendorf said. “It’s something that I’m really passionate about, so I’m excited to have that experience of going into the military.”