I was a fat kid. People diplomatically called me big-boned, but we all knew what they really meant. I knew I was different from other kids, but I didn't know how to change. With the advent of Covid, it got worse, until I had a life-changing talk with my grandfather, my role model. Poppy was brutally honest with me. I’ll never forget what he said, “Nate, you are at a crossroads, and there are two paths to choose between.” He said that I could continue to do what I was doing and give up on my dreams, or I could choose to completely change my life. I told him I wanted to change. Like the Marine he is, he told me to start by doing 25 push ups. I could barely get to five, but I was determined to change that. I decided to make it my mission. Every chance I got I was doing pushups, until I reached 25 and beyond. I chose the harder road that day, and I lead a different life now. I’ve shrunk physically and grown in so many other ways. I know what it is like to be different, giving me the courage to speak up when others need help. I know that the struggles I faced made me a better version of myself in more ways than just those visible in photos. He is my why, and he inspires me to be the best version of myself and to serve my country.

My name is Nate Carbaugh and I am currently a senior at Westfield High School in Chantilly, Virginia. I am the captain of the Varsity Cross Country, Varsity Indoor Track, Outdoor Track, and JV Basketball teams. I am a leading member of the Class of 2025 Executive Board, past Flight Commander for AFJROTC, and I have achieved the rank of Eagle Scout. Outside of school I compete in 10 Meter Air pistol, which I will be continuing at the collegiate level. I am a leader of community faith groups, including FCA and the youth group at my church. I have always loved history, especially American History, and I look forward to majoring in history in college. One of my life goals is to serve as a career military officer. For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to serve our country. Long talks with my grandfather, my role model and a Marine who volunteered to go to Vietnam, inspired me to serve. A cherished family video shows my five-year-old self at preschool graduation, proudly stating “When I grow up, I want to become a soldier.” My dreams have grown more focused through the years as I realized I want to serve in the Army. I was a fat kid. People diplomatically called me big-boned or husky, but we all knew what it really meant. My own eating habits kept me in the same place, so long established that I thought they were normal. With the advent of Covid, it got worse, until a life-changing talk with my Grandfather. My Poppy, was brutally honest with me. I’ll never forget his opener that day, “Nate, you are at a crossroads and there are 2 paths you can choose between.” He said that I could continue to do what I was doing and give up my dreams; or I could choose to completely change my life. I picked the second option and he then told me to do 25 pushups. I could barely get to 5. I made it my mission to learn about healthy eating, I cut out sweets, and I chose reasonable portions. I also started daily workouts, focusing on running and biking. Every chance I got I was doing push ups, each time getting a little closer to getting 25, until I finally got to 25 and way beyond. Almost 5 years later, I still feel like the new and improved version of myself. I’m most proud of helping others with their exercise plans and eating habits, including my parents, who have each lost a substantial amount of weight. As the PT Officer for my AFJROTC Unit of 180 students, I have spread this knowledge even farther, educating and inspiring my fellow cadets on exercise. I designed a PT program with fun elements so my fellow cadets are enthusiastic about PT rather than thinking of it as a chore. I chose the challenging path during that conversation and I lead a new and different life now. There’s less of me now but I have grown in so many other ways. Making strides in health has been life-changing but probably best of all is seeing the benefits of discipline and hard choices also transfers into my academic life. Hard work, discipline, and commitment have yielded big rewards. I will use my career in the military and my background to make a positive impact in the world around me by looking out for others just as people have inspired and looked out for me. Coming from a diverse area, I strive to be a bridge between groups.

I have always been passionate about history, especially American military history, and deciding to major in history when I head to college later this year seemed less like a decision and more like a calling. I want to continue to explore more as I learn about history on location and I’m thrilled that I will have opportunities to do so in college. To me, history is more real when you have the opportunity to visit the places you’ve read about in books, talked about with like-minded people, and learned about through watching documentaries. I’ve had the chance to stand in the woods on Little Round Top, walk along the fields of Pickett's Charge, visit the D-Day beaches, peek over the rims of World War I trenches, explore Vicksburg, and visit many other historical sites. I feel a connection to the past. I can't wait to be able to spend months taking classes like “Era of the 2nd World War”, “History of Civil War America”, and “American Frontiers”. I’ll have the chance to study these topics in depth, when in high school we might have only had a class period or two to learn about these subjects. For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to serve our country. Long talks with my grandfather, my role model and a Marine who volunteered to go to Vietnam, inspired me to serve. I cherish the times, especially during Covid, that I have been able to spend hours sitting and talking with him, hearing his stories, and learning life lessons from him. He instilled in me a love of our country, a desire to serve in the military and to give back to our veterans, which I was able to do in my Eagle Scout project. A cherished family video shows my five-year-old self at preschool graduation, proudly stating “When I grow up, I want to become a soldier.” My dreams have grown more focused through the years as I realized I want to be a military officer and eventually enter politics. I will use my career in the military and my knowledge of history for good and to improve the world. I will make informed decisions based on the valuable lessons taught by the past so that I can work to influence a better future. I am passionate about improving the community and the world and I am committed to using history as a guide to future decisions.

My journey into Christianity began with an inspiring encounter at a summer basketball camp. I know God places people into my life for a reason and this individual who happened to be my roommate for a weeks-long basketball camp was exactly that. He brought up the topic of faith and I was interested, but over the week he changed my life. We began praying together each night, something from that day on, four years ago I have continued to do. He taught me about Christianity and his journey. When I returned home I was inspired by this encounter, my family soon joined a new church in our community. Through the church, I met my best friends. I became very involved in the church youth group, where I have since been asked to join the leadership board. In school, I joined the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, where I met an amazing community of like-minded athletes. I was asked to become a leader and have since expanded the club. Both the youth group and FCA have exposed me to the Word and fostered an amazing community based on faith. I know that I have come a long way on my faith journey, starting on that summer day. I have been inspired to be that individual that sparks others to begin their journey in Christianity, just like what spurred me to embark on my journey. I will continue my faith journey as it has done so much for me already, I will work in my new communities to spread the Word and surround myself with other Christians who have found the Lord, just like me. Next year in college, I will join Faith groups including continuing my participation in FCA. Although I went to church prior to this encounter, since then my life has changed and I am forever thankful. Christianity and finding the Lord has been a guiding light in my life so far and I know it will continue to be. My academic and career goals are to continue to pursue my passion for history in college, specifically American History, while working towards my dream of serving our country with a career in the military. For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to serve our country. Long talks with my grandfather, my role model and a Marine who volunteered to go to Vietnam, inspired me to serve. A cherished family video shows my five-year-old self at preschool graduation, proudly stating “When I grow up, I want to become a soldier.” My dreams have grown more focused through the years as I realized I want to serve in the Army. I would like to continue to pursue the path towards becoming an officer in college and winning this scholarship would help me do that. I have always been passionate about history, as a child I would always beg my parents to take me to historical sites and battlefields. I have had the opportunity to visit many Civil War battlefields. Deciding to major in history when I head to college later this year seemed less like a decision and more like a calling. I want to continue to explore more as I learn about history on location and I’m thrilled that I might have opportunities to do so in college. To me, history is more real when you have the opportunity to visit the places you’ve read about in books. I also love to talk about history with like-minded people and watch historical documentaries. With the scholarship, I would be able to more easily participate in these opportunities which would greatly enhance my understanding of topics I truly love. I’m convinced ROTC is the best path for me to achieve my goal. During multiple visits to ROTC detachments, I’ve spoken with cadets, alumni, and professors, and each one has shared stories with me. To prepare, I have strived to push myself beyond my limits by excelling in my rigorous course load, competing nationally in air pistol, and flourishing in Boy Scouts. Even with its challenges, I love being part of a team, a group of individuals that work together towards achieving goals. I have enjoyed leading teams as a Flight Commander in JROTC and as team captain of Cross Country and Track. One of my goals is to continue shooting and improving my skills in college and beyond. Since I started shooting I have watched many of my teammates set down their pistols because they were headed off to college, but I want to continue competing in pistol. To improve my skills at shooting, I would like to continue working with my coach, and also I would like to travel to more national and international competitions. I have realized that practicing shooting at home and my team’s range at Isaak Walton has helped my skills a great deal, shooting at other ranges and competitions has helped me improve also. I’ve had the opportunity to shoot at the Naval Academy range, the West Point range, Camp Perry, and the Cardinal Shooting Center in Ohio. This scholarship would allow me to travel to multiple competitions and start competing internationally. Also, I have been focusing on air pistols and I want to grow my skills in standard and sport pistols. I have been leasing a sports pistol from my team, the NOVA Sharpshooters, and eventually, I would like to purchase my own sports pistol so I can increase my skills in other shooting disciplines. I want to continue to recruit other participants to shoot sports and help others improve their skills. As a NOVA Sharpshooters team captain, I have found that I love showing younger shooters how to improve their grips and what changes they can make in their posture to improve their skills. The shooting community is so supportive and I want to give back just like those who helped me along the way, especially when I was a new shooter. I am committed to continuing to progress on my journey into Christianity and the people I will meet who I can share in faith with. I am excited to pursue my dreams of serving my country and to continue competing in shooting, as I study what I am passionate about.

My journey into Christianity began with an inspiring encounter at a summer basketball camp. I know God places people into my life for a reason and this individual who happened to be my roommate for a weeks long basketball camp was exactly that. He brought up the topic of faith and I was interested, but over the course of the week he changed my life. We began praying together each night, something from that day on, four years ago I have continued to do. He taught me about Christianity and about his journey. When I returned home I was inspired by this encounter, my family soon joined a church in our community. Through the church I met my best friends. I became very involved in the church youth group, where I have since been asked to join the leadership board. In school I joined the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, where I met an amazing community of like minded athletes. I was asked to become a leader and I have since expanded the club. Both youth group and FCA have been exposed me to the Word and fostered an amazing community based around faith. I know that I have come a long way on my faith journey, starting on that summer day. I have been inspired to be that individual that sparks others to begin their journey in Christianity, just like what spurred me to embark on my journey. I will continue my faith journey as it has done so much for me already, I will work in my new communities to spread the Word and surround myself with other Christians who have found the Lord, just like me. My academic and career goals are to continue to pursue my passion for history in college, specifically American History, while working towards my dream of serving our country with a career in the military. For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to serve our country. Long talks with my grandfather, my role model and a Marine who volunteered to go to Vietnam, inspired me to serve. A cherished family video shows my five-year-old self at preschool graduation, proudly stating “When I grow up, I want to become a soldier.” My dreams have grown more focused through the years as I realized I want to serve in the Army. I would like to continue to pursue the path towards becoming an officer in college and winning this scholarship would help me do that. I have always been passionate about history, as a child I would always beg my parents to take me to historical sites and battlefields. I have had the opportunity to visit many Civil War battlefields. Deciding to major in history when I head to college later this year seemed less like a decision and more like a calling. I want to continue to explore more as I learn about history on location and I’m thrilled that I might have opportunities to do so in college. To me, history is more real when you have the opportunity to visit the places you’ve read about in books. I also love to talk about history with like-minded people, and watch historical documentaries. With the scholarship I would be able to more easily participate in these opportunities which would greatly enhance my understanding of topics I truly love.

My favorite athlete to cheer for on Team USA is Lexi Lagan. Lexi has been my coach in Air Pistol for three years now. She inspires me in her work ethic and it has been amazing to cheer her on at the highest level of competition when she competed in Tokyo and then this past summer when her competed in Paris. My family and I were able to cheer her on from home as we watched her on TV. Lexi is the first member of Team USA that I have a personal connection with. She has motivated me to continue to pursue my dream of one day becoming a member of Team USA just like her. She has been so helpful in working with me to improve in the sport of Air Pistol. When I met Lexi my dream was to compete in Air Pistol in college, Lexi has helped me achieve this dream as I will be shooting at the collegiate level next year. I am always excited to hear about the competitions that Lexi is competing at and I watch live feed of her competitions, as she competes for Team USA around the world. I really enjoy cheering on Lexi as she competes on the world stage! Lexi has amazing spirit for Team USA that I also love! That is why I always cheer on Lexi and Team USA!

A problem in my community is the troubling rate of suicide among veterans and first responders. Through volunteer work I have been able to help several organizations. I wanted my Eagle Scout Project to benefit veterans, because of my grandfather and role model, a Marine who volunteered for Vietnam. He instilled in me a love of our country, a desire to serve in the military and to give back to our community. So working with the Boulder Crest Foundation, a charity that provides cost free retreats for veterans and first responders, was perfect. They have two retreat centers, one in Virginia and one in Arizona. At these retreat centers they focus on Post Traumatic Recovery. Veterans and first responders have sacrificed so much for our communities, and many deal with PTSD as a result. The mission of the Boulder Crest Foundation to help them with recovery is phenomenal, and I love to help. My team of volunteers and I cleared an area and built a composting center (like a three-sided 6 foot fence) to match the rest of Boulder Crest’s beautiful property, at their Virginia retreat center. Working with them, I felt amazing because the work I was doing was not only benefiting the organization which does very important work but also helping veterans and first responders who have sacrificed so much for us. I’ve also volunteered for an organization that helps retired military and police dogs. Helping groups that inspire me is one of my goals, to help those who have done so much for so many and asked nothing in return. Volunteering for veteran and first responder organizations is truly inspiring and always motivates me to continually volunteer because the people that these groups benefit have done so much for our communities and for country. When people needed help they stood up and volunteered and that inspires me to volunteer when they need help. I plan to continue to drive positive change in my community by motivating and rallying others to volunteer their time to benefit these amazing organizations. Getting more people to volunteer helps spread awareness to the problems our community faces and the more people who are exposed, the more people are driven to help. I am motivated to continue to foster the change I have begun in my community and I look forward to the positive impact that I can make in my community.

Volunteering for several charities has had a profound impact on me. Through volunteer work I have been able to help the organizations that I am drawn to. I always wanted my Eagle Scout Project to benefit veterans, because of my grandfather and role model, a Marine who volunteered for Vietnam. I cherish the times, especially during Covid, that I have been able to spend hours sitting and talking with him, hearing his stories, and learning life lessons from him. He instilled in me a love of our country, a desire to serve in the military and to give back to our community. So working with the Boulder Crest Foundation, which is a charity that provides cost free retreats for veterans and first responders, was perfect. They have two retreat centers one in Virginia and one in Arizona. At these retreat centers they focus on Post Traumatic Recovery. These veterans and first responders have sacrificed so much for our communities, and many deal with PTSD as a result. The mission of the Boulder Crest Foundation to help them with recovery is phenomenal, and I love to help. My team of volunteers and I cleared and area and built a composting center (like a three-sided 6 foot fence) to match the rest of Boulder Crest’s beautiful property, at their Virginia retreat center. Working with them, I felt amazing because the work I was doing was not only benefiting the organization which does amazing work but also helping veterans and first responders who have sacrificed so much for us. I’ve also volunteered for an organization that helps retired military and police dogs. Helping groups that inspire me makes me feel amazing, to help those who have done so much for so many and asked nothing in return. Volunteering for veteran and first responder organizations is truly inspiring and always motivates me to continually volunteer because the people that these groups benefit have done so much for our communities and for country. When people needed help they stood up and volunteered and that inspires me to volunteer when they need help. I plan to continue to drive positive change in my community by motivating and rallying others to volunteer their time to benefit these amazing organizations. Getting more people to volunteer helps spread awareness to the problems our community faces and the more people who are exposed, the more people who are driven to help. I am motivated to continue to foster the change I have began in my community and I look forward to the positive impact that I can make in my community.

For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to serve our country. Long talks with my grandfather, my role model and a Marine who volunteered to go to Vietnam, inspired me to serve. I cherish the times, especially during Covid, that I have been able to spend hours sitting and talking with him, hearing his stories, and learning life lessons from him. He instilled in me a love of our country, a desire to serve in the military and to give back to our veterans, which I was able to do in my Eagle Scout project. A cherished family video shows my five-year-old self at preschool graduation, proudly stating “When I grow up, I want to become a soldier.” My dreams have grown more focused through the years as I realized I want to be a career military officer. I have always been passionate about history, especially American military history, and deciding to major in history when I head to college later this year seemed less like a decision and more like a calling. I feel a connection to the past. I want to continue to explore more as I learn about history on location, especially by studying in Europe, and I’m thrilled that I will have opportunities to do so in college. I can't wait to be able to spend months taking classes like “Era of the 2nd World War”, “History of Civil War America”, and “American Frontiers”. I’ll have the chance to study these topics in depth, when in high school we might have only had a class period or two to learn about these subjects. In order to achieve my goals, I have strived to stretch myself by excelling in my rigorous course load, competing nationally in air pistol, and flourishing in Boy Scouts. I have taken the hardest courses available at my school and have excelled in them, achieving a perfect 4.0 average. I have won multiple National and school-level awards. Last summer, I completed my Eagle Scout project at the Boulder Crest Foundation, a retreat for veterans and First Responders. Knowing that leadership is an important component of my plans,I have focused on practicing and improving my leadership skills. I have had the opportunity to serve in multiple leadership positions and I’ve learned from each of them. For example, I have been the Varsity Captain of the Cross Country, Indoor Track, and Outdoor Track teams for both my Junior and Senior years. I served as the Air Force Junior ROTC Flight Commander, leading 28 cadets from freshman to seniors. I was selected to work on the Class of 2025 Executive Board for my high school, where I have organized fundraisers, planned events, and recruited volunteers. I am on the leadership board for the youth group for my church, which is very important to me. The most profound lesson I’ve learned from these leadership opportunities was that for me, growth does not occur within the comfort zone. By being forced out of my comfort zone I learned that I can think calmly under pressure, make strategic decisions, overcome stressful situations, and encourage others through bad times. I look forward to using these skills in life and as a military officer.

For me, and probably many other people, being Italian American means family, love, acceptance, traditions, and amazing food, but it also means so much more to me. It means lingering at the table after meals to hear stories of how my Grandmother and her siblings navigated growing up in a small city as first generation Americans. I love the stories she has told me over the years and I find it fascinating how our experiences were shaped by a common cultural bond. My grandmother is the youngest of 13 children, so I’ve loved being surrounded by extended family who welcome family and friends into their homes with generosity, love, and kindness. I will cherish my memories, with the mouth-watering scent of garlic wafting through the air, sitting around the table with my grandparents enjoying the Seven Fishes, pasta and sauce, or shrimp scampi. I’m blessed with cousins. Our family is with us to celebrate the good times with us and help us through the challenging times. One of my goals is to save enough money so I can visit Italy, specifically the town near Milan, where my Great Grandmother was from and Naples, where my Great Grandfather lived as a boy. Being Italian American is part of me that I will strive to pass on to the next generation. It is important to maintain cultural roots because it is a connection to who you are; it ties you to the people who came before you and made so many sacrifices for their children and grandchildren. My Great Grandfather came to the US as a boy, and passed away when my Grandmother was young, but I feel a connection with him through the Italian culture he has passed on. His experience coming to America was like so many others, seeing the Statue of Liberty when he arrived at Ellis Island. He turned seven years old on the boat to America and to celebrate both his birthday and their arrival in America, his mother, my Great Great Grandmother, gave him a signet ring. One day that ring will be mine and it is crucial to understand that it represents so much more than just a ring. It represents our family, the new beginnings of coming to America, but staying true to our cultural roots. They moved to Gloversville, New York, where their relatives had already moved. I love hearing about My Great Grandfather’s love of cooking, music, patriotism, and his family. The Italian traditions and cultural roots hold the years of memories of our family together. Even though many of them are not with us anymore, I want to make them proud. For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to serve our country. Long talks with my grandfather, my role model and a Marine who volunteered to go to Vietnam, inspired me to serve. I cherish the times, especially during Covid, that I have been able to spend hours sitting and talking with him, hearing his stories, and learning life lessons from him. He instilled in me a love of our country, a desire to serve in the military and to give back to our veterans, which I was able to do in my Eagle Scout project. A cherished family video shows my five-year-old self at preschool graduation, proudly stating “When I grow up, I want to become a soldier.” My dreams have grown more focused through the years as I realized I want to be a career military officer. I have overcome tremendous challenges on the path to pursuing this dream.

I have always been passionate about history, especially American military history, and deciding to major in history when I head to college later this year seemed less like a decision and more like a calling. I'm not sure if it is the cause or the effect, but I was lucky to be born into a family of history lovers. Because of that, my requests to visit different historical sites from the time I was a little kid were met with eagerness as we planned family vacations together, figuring out which battlefields and other sites we could visit. I want to continue to explore more as I learn about history, especially on location and I’m thrilled that I will have opportunities to do so in college. To me, history is more real when you have the opportunity to visit the places you’ve read about in books, talked about with like-minded people, and learned about through watching documentaries. I’ve had the chance to stand in the woods on Little Round Top, walk along the fields of Pickett's Charge, visit the D-Day beaches, peek over the rims of World War I trenches, explore Vicksburg, and visit many other historical sites. I feel a connection to the past. I've poured over the course catalogs of colleges in excitement about what I will have the chance to learn. I can't wait to be able to spend months taking classes like “Era of the 2nd World War”, “History of Civil War America”, and “American Frontiers”. I’ll have the chance to study these topics in depth, when in high school we might have only had a class period or two to learn about these subjects. Specifically I am very interested in personal battlefield stories from letters and diaries. I enjoy reading through these personal accounts of the battles which opens a new perspective on a much closer look into history. For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to serve our country. Long talks with my grandfather, my role model and a Marine who volunteered to go to Vietnam, inspired me to serve. I cherish the times, especially during Covid, that I have been able to spend hours sitting and talking with him, hearing his stories, and learning life lessons from him. He instilled in me a love of our country, a desire to serve in the military and to give back to our veterans, which I was able to do in my Eagle Scout project. A cherished family video shows my five-year-old self at preschool graduation, proudly stating “When I grow up, I want to become a soldier.” My dreams have grown more focused through the years as I realized I want to be a career military officer. I want to use my passion for history through service to our country. My dream is to teach history at West Point, specifically American Military History, to inspire the next generations of history lovers like myself.