ROTC cadet from Mt. Pleasant surprised with Saint Vincent scholarship at Steelers game

Mt. Pleasant Area graduate Noah Lynch was honored to escort his ROTC commander at Saint Vincent College onto Heinz Field for a special presentation during Sunday’s game between the Steelers and the visiting Colts.

He was stunned to realize the third-quarter presentation before more than 62,000 football fans included full Saint Vincent scholarships for him and a fellow ROTC cadet at the Unity college.

“It was a huge surprise, definitely a once-in-a-lifetime thing,” said Lynch, 20, a sophomore who is majoring in integrated science/allied health. “It’s a huge blessing.”

Lynch and fellow cadet Anthony Meneses, a junior from Covina, Calif., who is majoring in criminology, law and society, thought they were attending the game to help honor their ROTC commander, Lt. Col. Faith Chamberlain, as part of the Steelers’ ATI Salute to Heroes recognition of military service members.

Instead, the Rev. Paul R. Taylor, the college president, and Eric Kocian, ROTC adviser and associate professor at the school, announced that each of the cadets will be granted a scholarship covering the remainder of their studies at Saint Vincent.

“We’re happy to award them for their service to their country and the ROTC program,” said Taylor. “We’re proud of these two young men, and it was a fantastic surprise for them.”

Meneses is slated to be commissioned into the National Guard in May 2021 as a military policeman and then plans to pursue a career in law enforcement in the Pittsburgh area.

Lynch, who was a student council member and team captain in baseball and football at Mt. Pleasant, has shifted his focus at Saint Vincent to his interest in military service.

”I wanted to be part of a bigger team and help make this world a better place,” he explained.

Lynch chose to enlist in the Army National Guard and will report for basic training in May. He plans to continue balancing his college studies with what may be the start of a long-term military career.

He said he hopes to complete advanced training as a combat medic and, after finishing his bachelor’s degree, continue on to graduate school or a military deployment. His ultimate goal is to become a nurse practitioner or a physician’s assistant in a military setting.