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TCHS junior accepted to West Point summer leadership camp
TCHS kid West Point pic
Turlock Christian High School junior Nick Truax was recently accepted to the Unites States Military Academy’s Summer Leadership Seminar. Truax was one of 1,000 high school juniors that were selected for the seminar in June. More than 4,000 students applied for the prestigious opportunity to learn about military life and leadership. - photo by JONATHAN MCCORKELL / The Journal

In the Truax family’s case the saying “the apple doesn’t fall from the tree” rings true.

Dave and Carol Truax are both Navy veterans and their son, Nick, was recently accepted to The United States Military Academy’s prestigious Summer Leaders Seminar (SLS) in June. Nick is a junior at Turlock Christian High School and he was selected to be among 1,000 attendees at SLS. More than 4,000 juniors nationwide applied to the SLS.

The SLS offers attendees the opportunity to experience life at West Point. Truax and the other attendees will sleep in cadet barracks, eat in the cadet mess hall and participate in academic, leadership, athletic and military workshops. The seminar lasts one week and it is designed to help juniors with their college selection process, while implementing the importance of leadership and decision-making.

All SLS attendees participate in virtual-reality war stimulation, military physical fitness training and workshops such as ethics, engineering, history, physics, human behavior, social sciences, environmental sciences, chemistry, math, legal, computer programming, foreign language and English.

“My goal is to serve my country,” said Nick.

Next year Nick will be applying to West Point and Annapolis, also known as the United States Naval Academy. His parents, both former Navy 2nd Class Petty Officers in the mid-1980s, are nudging him towards Annapolis, understandably. But whichever he chooses to pursue, his parents will undoubtedly be as proud as can be.

“Carol and I are both U.S. Navy veterans, and we are extremely proud of both Nick’s desire to serve his country as a commissioned officer, and his unrelenting drive towards academic, athletic and moral excellence in his life,” said his father Dave.

If Nick does not attend one of the military academies he will go to college and participate in a Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC).

“You know Nick has done everything right to get into one of the academies. He’s got outstanding grades, he is a leader and he is involved. I think he’s got a good shot,” said TCHS counselor Chuck Boswell.

Nick has 4.2 grade point average and is enrolled in two advanced placement classes.

Currently Nick also serves TCHS as junior class president and plays varsity football and track. On top of school activities he is a member of the Stanislaus County Education Leadership Academy.

To contact Jonathan McCorkell, e-mail jmccorkell@turlockjournal.com or call 634-9141 ext. 2015.