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North Medford senior lands $180,000 Navy ROTC scholarship North Medford High School senior Jovanna Salvador-McColly has been awarded a prestigious national scholarship from the U.S. Navy. Mail Tribune / Denise Baratta Friday Feb 3, 2017 at 5:43 PM Feb 3, 2017 at 5:57 PM Teresa Thomas Mail Tribune @teresathomas_MT Jovanna Salvador-McColly has a bright future ahead of her, courtesy of the U.S. Navy. Last month, the 18-year-old North Medford High School senior learned she was one of 50 students nationwide to receive the Navy’s four-year Immediate Scholarship Reservation scholarship of $180,000 to any college in the country with a Navy Reserve Officer Training Corps program. Jovanna hopes to attend the University of San Diego starting this fall and study either biology or neuroscience on her way to becoming a physician’s assistant in the Navy. “I feel really thankful and blessed to have (the scholarship),” she said. "I finally feel like all that hard work I put in for all those years has finally paid off.” Jovanna’s mom, Alyssa McColly, said she’s excited to watch her daughter do what she’s always wanted to do. Jovanna started talking about joining the military and becoming a doctor when she was about 9 years old, McColly said. “She’s always been interested in history and been patriotic,” McColly said. “(Jovanna) could recite the Gettysburg address by the fifth grade, and by the sixth grade she could name every president and their election year.” Jovanna started swimming competitively when she was 4 and volunteering when she was 9. Since then, she’s volunteered for her church, Southern Oregon Humane Society, United Way, and last year she went on a mission trip to Mexico to build houses and do outreach programs with Helping Hands International. In high school, Jovanna has managed to get good grades while taking three advanced placement classes every year as a member of the Torch Honor Society, swimming and playing softball, mentoring students at Lone Pine Elementary School as part of North’s Buddy Program, and participating in DECA, an international business and marketing club. Three days a week, she attends school until 2:30 p.m., has softball practice from 4 to 5 p.m., DECA practice from 5 to 6 p.m. and swim practice from 6:30 to 8:45 p.m. Jovanna credits her drive and work ethic to her mother, who gave birth to her as a senior at South Medford High School but who graduated from high school, earned a bachelor’s degree from Southern Oregon University and now is a manager for Umpqua Bank. McColly raised Jovanna as a single parent until two years ago when she married Lee McColly. “(My mom) taught me how to read at 4 years old and started me in math books before I was even in school, and she always made sure I had a 4.0 (GPA) and pushed me to do the best I could,” Jovanna said. “(She) had to take out loans and work the entire time she was in college, going to school during the day and working at night,” Jovanna said. “It’s amazing what she did, but it’s also nice to know that I won’t have to struggle or worry about that.” Jovanna said she was initially interested in joining the Army, but a Navy recruiter overheard her talking about her plans at the College and Career Center and encouraged her to apply for a Navy ROTC scholarship. Shortly after submitting the scholarship application, she was informed that she qualified for the more prestigious ISR scholarship, which also would allow her to get a spot in an ROTC program ahead of the other scholarship recipients. The University of San Diego had been her first choice from the beginning because it was a smaller school in close proximity to family and “one of the largest Naval bases in the United States.” “I’ve always loved the medical field and fixing people,” Jovanna said. “Our military does so much for us, and somebody needs to be there to take care of them, and I just want to be the one to do that.” — Reach education reporter Teresa Thomas at 541-776-4497 or [email protected]. Follow her at www.twitter.com/teresathomas_mt.