Missouri Military Academy Cadet Bradley Thumbi Awarded $180,000 NROTC Scholarship

Missouri Military Academy (MMA) Cadet Bradley Thumbi, a high school senior from Overland Park, Kansas, has been awarded the prestigious NROTC scholarship, which is worth $180,000. Since joining MMA in September 2020, Cadet Thumbi has been actively engaged in a diverse array of activities, including football, soccer, Fusileers drill team, Color Guard, track, Boy Scouts, the dual-credit Triumph Program and the Lunch Buddy program. He holds the esteemed position of cadet battalion commander and serves as the Fusileer Color Guard commander. 

“Applying for this scholarship wouldn’t have been possible without coming here to MMA,” Cadet Thumbi says. Learn more: Watch this video of the scholarship presentation.

The NROTC (Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps) scholarship is a program offered by the United States Navy and Marine Corps. The highly competitive scholarship program provides financial assistance to students who wish to pursue a commission as an officer in the Navy or Marine Corps while completing their undergraduate degree. The scholarship covers tuition, fees, textbooks and living expenses at most of the country’s leading colleges and universities. In return, scholarship recipients participate in NROTC training and coursework during college and commit to serving a minimum number of years as commissioned officers upon graduation. This scholarship program seeks to develop future leaders for the Navy and Marine Corps. 

The Navy ROTC Program was founded to nurture midshipmen's mental, moral and physical development. Its mission is to instill in them the utmost principles of duty, loyalty and the core values of honor, courage and commitment. Through this, the program seeks to graduate college students as naval officers equipped with a solid professional foundation, driven towards naval careers and possessing the potential for ongoing growth in both mind and character. These officers are prepared to undertake the most significant responsibilities of command, citizenship and governmental service.

Cadet Battalion Commander Bradley Thumbi (front, center) leads the Missouri Military Academy cadet battalion command at the senior review on Colonels Field on October 21, 2023.

Cadet Thumbi has been accepted to the Air Force Prep Academy but is still undecided on his final college plans. 

“Attending a service academy is such a good opportunity,” Cadet Thumbi says. “You get such a high level of education. And then the ultimate goal — what everybody is looking forward to — is to commission and then go serve in the military. Defending my nation is my way of giving back.” 

Missouri Military Academy senior cadets are required to submit at least 6 college applications and earn acceptance to at least one before receiving their MMA high school diploma. As of 2 April 2024, MMA's Class of 2024 has earned $4,040,109.00 in college scholarship offers. Click here for a list of colleges and universities to which the Class of 2023 was accepted.