𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐍𝐚𝐯𝐲 𝐑𝐎𝐓𝐂 𝐦𝐢𝐝𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧

LINDEN PUBLIC SCHOOLS, NJ (Aug. 11) — Three Linden High School Class of 2026 graduates have completed New Student Indoctrination at Naval Station Great Lakes in Illinois, clearing the way for them to activate four-year, full-tuition Navy ROTC scholarships.

Natasha Lopez will attend the University of Pennsylvania, David Montesdeoca will attend Villanova University and Daniel Quiceno will attend the University of San Diego.

The 2 1/2-week program, known as NSI, prepares incoming Navy and Marine Corps ROTC students for the academic, physical and leadership requirements of college military training. Completing the program marks their transition from midshipman candidates to midshipmen.

Training included physical conditioning, swim qualifications, close-order drill, seamanship, firefighting, water survival, military instruction and leadership development. Candidates also learned time management, teamwork and how to perform under pressure.

Lopez, Montesdeoca and Quiceno entered the program with experience from Linden High School’s Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps unit, the largest NJROTC unit in the world. Quiceno previously served as the unit’s cadet commanding officer.

They were among 1,976 Navy and Marine Corps midshipmen who completed NSI in 2026. The final class of 716 candidates graduated Aug. 3 at Recruit Training Command.

The graduates will now report to their respective university Navy ROTC units, where they will continue academic, physical and leadership training toward future commissions as Navy or Marine Corps officers.

𝙁𝙤𝙧 𝙈𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙄𝙣𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣, 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙘𝙩:

𝙈𝙞𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙚𝙡 𝘼. 𝙒𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙠𝙞𝙨

𝙋𝙪𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙘 𝙄𝙣𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙊𝙛𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙚𝙧, 𝙇𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙣 𝙋𝙪𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙘 𝙎𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙤𝙡𝙨

908-486-2800 𝙀𝙭𝙩. 80026 | ✉️ 𝙢𝙬𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙠𝙞𝙨@𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙥𝙨.𝙤𝙧𝙜