For Cooper High School senior Natalia Savella, one year at Cooper became a year of growth and opportunity. What began as a new start after her dad was stationed at Dyess Air Force Base quickly became something more. Through Cooper’s JROTC program, Savella found the kind of leadership experience and support that helped shape where she is headed next.
Savella chose Cooper in part because of its JROTC program and the opportunities she saw there. Once on campus, she stepped into a school community that helped her build confidence and grow as a leader. Abilene Education Foundation College Advisor Gerald Wilkerson also played an important role in helping her navigate her next steps after graduation.
This fall, she will attend Baylor University to study biology, building on the momentum of the NROTC scholarship she earned this year.
Savella said her time in JROTC played a major role in that growth.
“It helped me to develop leadership skills and learn to be led and developed communication skills,” she said.
She was inspired early on by the students who came before her and the example they set.
“I wanted to apply to JROTC because I saw the amazing things the students were doing before, and I wanted to be just like them,” Savella said.
That willingness to step in and get involved helped open doors. It is also the advice she now gives to younger students.
“I would say put yourself out there,” she said. “It can give you so many opportunities.”
As she looks ahead, Savella says one of the biggest lessons she is taking with her is to trust the journey, even when things do not unfold exactly as planned.
“Trust the process,” she said. “Not everything will go the way you want it to go, and there’s a reason for that. Everything will work out.”
What started as a new beginning at Cooper became a year that helped shape Savella’s confidence, direction, and future.