Local high school student signs with US Coast Guard
News 11's reporter Melissa Zaremba shares what he hopes to bring back to our community
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - A local senior has just signed with the U.S Coast Guard after going through multiple service academy nominations.
Cibola High School senior Gabriel McCallen just made a pretty big decision.
It's a big honor for him, for his family and for our area.
“My final decision is to sign with the Coast Guard Academy to pursue and further my education and swimming career there,” said Cibola high school senior Gabriel McCallen.
Gabe is thrilled with his decision.
“I’m really excited ever since I got that letter in the mail in November I wanted to sign but I wanted to hold off to see what other opportunities I might get just to see what would happen but since then I’ve kind of been set on the Coast Guard and it feels good to finally be able to sign,” said McCallen.
Gabe’s dad Peter McCallen is in the army, so military runs in the family he couldn’t be any prouder.
“It was really fun to see this year how everything started happening with the academies, sports, and obviously school. It was really great to see all of his hard work pay off,” Gabe’s dad Peter McCallen.
After many years of long practice, training and studying. It's great to see Gabe’s dream finally become a reality.
“I’m just very proud of him and happy with what he’s accomplished and I’m just happy to see that,” said Gabe’s swimming coach Brad Broschat.
As one door closes and another one opens it’s definitely a bittersweet moment.
“It will be really sweet to finally be able to move on going onto the next steps going to college and pursue my goals, but it will also be a little bitter because I’ve made a lot of memories here at Cibola and it’s provided a lot of great opportunities for me as well as I met a lot of people who have been great mentors to me in this process, so bittersweet, but I’m excited,” said McCallen.
Locals are thrilled about Gabe’s next journey, he will officially graduate in May and will start with the Coast Guard Academy in June.
Gabe will report to the Coast Guard Academy in June where he will start his six-week swab summer which is the first step taken by new cadets.
