05/17/2010
California Teen Aims to Succeed, Earns NWTF Scholarship
 National Wild Turkey Federation member Tyler McGee of Apple Valley, Calif., earned the 2010 $5,000 National FFA Organization Collegiate Scholarship, funded by the NWTF. Click image for print quality version |
EDGEFIELD, S.C. — Tyler McGee always has aimed to succeed in every aspect of his life, a work ethic that earned him the $5,000 National FFA Organization Collegiate Scholarship, funded by the National Wild Turkey Federation.
McGee, a senior at Apple Valley High School in Apple Valley, Calif., has achieved a 4.0 grade point average while maintaining active membership in the High Desert Chapter of the NWTF, his local FFA chapter, the National Honor Society, the National Spanish Honor Society and 4-H. A competitive marksman, he plans to major in criminal justice and pursue a career in law enforcement as a deputy or game warden.
"I look forward to teaching others about the shooting sports, gun safety, hunting and conservation, along with protecting our land and enforcing the law in my career," McGee said. "I'm very grateful to the NWTF for helping me achieve my academic goals through this scholarship."
He also received $250 local and $1,000 state scholarships from the NWTF.
McGee's interest in marksmanship and law enforcement began with his family's favorite pastime: hunting. He started target shooting and hunting with his dad and two older brothers, and now sees the importance of preserving hunting traditions for future generations.
"Until I started hunting, I never knew the impact humans have on land," McGee said. "Hunting goes hand in hand with conservation of wildlife and land. Hunting with my dad has become a family tradition that I will pass on to my own children someday.
In addition to his scholastic achievements, McGee is an active volunteer in his community. As Captain of the Post in the Apple Valley Sheriff's Explorer program, he volunteers 120 hours per month as a deputies' assistant. He also tutors first grade students and teaches them what to do if they see a gun, works at local NWTF JAKES (Juniors Acquiring Knowledge, Ethics and Sportsmanship) events, and trains and certifies therapy dogs that he takes to visit nursing homes.
McGee also regularly helps people in need. In 2009 he organized a pancake breakfast that raised $15,000 to help a sheriff's deputy with a brain tumor pay medical expenses, and he's helped provide more than 4,000 books to schoolchildren in his area.
"Tyler is always smiling and has a terrific attitude about family, community and work," said Apple Valley Deputy Sheriff Derek Simpson. "His work ethic, skill and professionalism are an example for all to follow."
Carol Pulice, McGee's guidance counselor said McGee is a world changer who always looks for ways to improve life for others and better his community.
To be eligible for the $5,000 FFA Organization scholarship funded by the NWTF, applicants must support hunting, possess strong leadership skills, achieve high academic successes and pursue a career in the natural resources field. To date, the NWTF has awarded more than $3 million in scholarships.
"We support college-bound students who are hunters with a demonstrated commitment to conservation and show leadership in their communities," said Christine Rolka, NWTF director of education. "We do this through the FFA and through our own scholarship program."
In addition to the scholarship, the NWTF partners with the FFA as an exhibitor at the FFA National Agriculture Career Show - the FFA's annual convention - and as judge for the National Wildlife Management event. State and local NWTF chapters also provide funding and support to FFA locally and statewide.
"The NWTF and the FFA have a terrific partnership," Rolka said. "We both want to make a positive difference in students' lives through agriculture and conservation education."
The NWTF is a nonprofit conservation organization that works daily to further its mission of conserving the wild turkey and preserving our hunting heritage.
Through dynamic partnerships with state, federal and provincial wildlife agencies, the NWTF and its members have helped restore wild turkey populations across the country, spending more than $306 million to conserve 14 million acres of habitat for all types of wildlife.
