Master Chief Vincent Patton Scholarship Award Application 2026

Master Chief Vincent Patton Scholarship Award Application
Master Chief Vincent Patton

Dear Technician, The Triangle Society is proud to offer you an opportunity to apply and compete for the annual Master Chief Vincent Patton Scholarship Award. Master Chief Patton is a 1972 graduate of Cass Technical High School and was a member of the JROTC program reaching the rank of Cadet Major. He enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard after graduation and served for 30 years. He became the first African American in U.S. Coast Guard history to reach the senior most rank and leadership position as the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard. His successful accomplishments during his military career included earning the nation's highest peacetime award for performance, the Distinguished Service Medal. He also completed all of his college education while on active duty including earning a Doctor of Education degree from the American University, Washington, DC. It was during his years as a student and JROTC cadet at Cass Tech, which provided the exceptional foundation of determination, dedication and discipline that drove his success both in and out of the military. He learned the fundamentals of the desired need to develop personal core values of "people, passion, and performance" that became his roadmap to focusing on his drive for success. It is for this reason that this scholarship was created to be awarded to stellar students of the JROTC program, to allow them to make their vision become a reality. The purpose of the Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps is "to instill in students the values of citizenship, service to the United States, personal responsibility and a sense of accomplishment in keeping with the cardinal principles of citizenship, service, personal responsibility and a sense of accomplishment, our scholarship contest promotes academic excellence and community service among college bound high school seniors.
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Tell us about your plans after high school? (College, trade school, military, etc)*
Eligibility Requirements

-Must be a current graduating senior at Cass Technical High School

-Must be a member of the Cass Tech JROTC Program

Essay Questions

Students interested in applying for the scholarship award must provide the following (no exceptions) information to the Scholarship Committee by April 26, 2026

(1) Choose from one of three quotes listed below and express in an original essay of 500 words or less, typed and double spaced, what it means to them. Application and Essay submissions should be made via The Triangle Society website at www.thetrianglesociety.com

(2) All entries must be RECEIVED by April 26, 2026, at 11:59pm
One entry per person. Essay must contain an opening thesis supported by examples and a conclusion. Eligible quotes are:
1. "Service to your people is the rent you pay for living on this earth."
  *Dr. Lillie May Carroll Jackson
2. "We are all bound up together in one great bin partnership with the bundle of humanity, and society cannot trample on the weakest and feeblest of its members without receiving the curse on its own soul."
  *Frances Ellen Watkins Harper
3. "A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives."
  *Jackie Robinson
The essay should flow with sound ideas and abide by the common principles of composition. We want the essays to demonstrate the ability of the student to use research materials and, most importantly, to synthesize those thoughts and findings into an essay that is supported by your research. A guide sheet to assist in establishing your essay is attached as an enclosure.

ESSAY GUIDE SHEET

SUBSTANCE
- Relevance to the purpose of the paper.
- Controlling Idea: Unifies all major parts.
- Documentation: Writer provides appropriate credit.
- Logic: Reasoning supports conclusion.
ORGANIZATION
- Intro:
  - Statement of the thesis statement: Precise? Complete? Vivid?
  - Attention step: Creates interest?
  - Announcement of parts: Reader knows what to expect.
- Main Body/Major Parts:
  - Major parts: Defined and simple?
  - Sequencing: Effective for purpose and audience?
  - Focus: Each part has a subordinate controlling idea.
  - Transitions: Between parts? Between sentences?
- Conclusion:
  - Restatement of controlling idea?
  - Closing: in concert with introduction? No new information?
STYLE
- Coherence:
  - Paragraphs: Unified? Logical flow? Sufficient detail?
  - Sentences: Sense? Emphasis? Variety?
  - Words: Precise?
- Efficiency
  - Paragraphs: Length?
  - Sentences: Length?
  - Words: Simple? Brief?
  - Voice: Active/passive?
CORRECTNESS
- Grammar
- Spelling
- Punctuation
- Documentation: Consistent throughout the paper
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Declaration and Signature I grant The Triangle Society the right to use my name, picture and/or likeness for purposes of advertising and publicity in any and all media now known or hereafter invented, without further permission or additional compensation (except where prohibited by law). I hereby declare that the information and answers provided in this application form are true and accurate to the best of my knowledge. I understand that any false or misleading information may result in the disqualification of my application or the revocation of the scholarship award. *

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