Xavier’s mission of “women of faith pursuing excellence” was demonstrated when Lauren Lum Lung ‘26 was presented with an outstanding scholarship at the winter sports rally in January.
Lum Lung was awarded a prestigious $200,000 Navy ROTC scholarship, which will allow her to study biomedical engineering on the pre-med track at the University of Notre Dame, followed by a commitment to serve in the U.S. Navy immediately after graduation.
ROTC, or Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, is a college-based program that combines military service with traditional college life. The recipient receives a full-ride scholarship to a college of her choosing in return for a service commitment for four years after college. The three different branches of ROTC include Navy/Marine, Air Force and Army, each being highly competitive.
Lum Lung explained the application process to be fairly standard, focusing on why the candidate wants to serve.
“I am really excited to serve. I have always wanted to. That was going to be something I did regardless, so it is really cool to have that opportunity to kick-start that journey into college” Lum Lung said.
Alexis Quintero, Lum Lung’s counselor, said she was one of fourteen students in the entirety of the Southwest to be selected for this scholarship.
“She probably is one of my most diligent students. She is super organized, and always one step ahead, especially with this college process. She has also taken a really competitive schedule, and has been taking honors and AP classes since freshman year,” Quintero said.
Lum Lung said she originally was looking into the academies, but chose the NROTC program because she wanted to ensure she could do something she loved.
“I hope to do engineering in medicine. I plan on doing more medical device development and application, but I will see where that takes me,” Lum Lung said.
She shared that she did not tell a lot of people about winning the scholarship, so when she saw the officers at the rally, she thought they were there for another student. When her name was called, she shared that she was not only surprised, but glad that other students will now hopefully “show appreciation for the thought of service” as well as feel encouraged to serve and apply for similar programs.
Lum Lung believes that she stood out as a candidate mainly because, in her interview, she described that she would enlist even if she did not receive the scholarship. “I just love my country, and I explained that to them,” she said.
She also explained how she is “biased” toward her choosing of the Navy branch, as her father, Michael Lum Lung, received the same scholarship and served in the Navy.
Sister Lynn Winsor ‘61 explained how there have been very few Xavier girls affiliated with the Navy, and not only that, but during her time at Xavier, Lum Lung is the first student to receive this high of an achievement.
“This shows that they are looking at kids who are really intelligent, great young women who really want to be involved in a service,” Winsor said. “She is just an outstanding young woman and she has worked really hard here at Xavier.
When you are a Christian or a Catholic, I think that service is part of our lives. The Navy, as a service, is a tremendously hard job. With her background coming from Xavier, I think that she will be a wonderful, fair and caring person in that field, so we’re very excited for her,” said Winsor. “In everything she does, we hope she remembers what Xavier taught her.”
“Don’t doubt yourself. A lot of people will tell you that you can’t or that you don’t look like the type of girl who would go into the Navy. If you think that it’s something you want to do, then just shoot for it,” Lum Lung added.
