A New Port Richey high school student won't have to sweat the cost of college.  

Gulf High School senior Jaquelyn Nagy was just awarded a $180,000 scholarship to the college of her choice.

The Naval Junior ROTC program started as something new and interesting for Nagy, and four years later she calls it life-changing.

"We learn a lot about how to lead and how to communicate effectively," she said.

Nagy proudly wears her medals, which include academic and leadership achievements. Because of the scholarship, she will now, one day, be adding a college degree to her accomplishments. 

When she got the call from her mother telling her she’d won, Nagy said she was smiling ear-to-ear.

"I got a text from my mom telling me to call her right now,” said Nagy, “I thought I was in trouble, so I called her, and she said you got the scholarship! And I had to stop driving."

Commander John McGuire, who is the chief Naval instructor at the high school, said Nagy was chosen based on her ACT and SAT scores, and her high GPA.  Nagy is on track to be valedictorian for her class.  

McGuire said around 5,000 students nation-wide apply for the scholarship every year, and Nagy is one of only about 1,200 to win one.

"I tell people, this is why I do this job," he said. "It's not to get all these trophies that you see behind me, it's to help students who may otherwise not be able to afford to go to college, to go to college and get a scholarship."

The encouragement worked.

"Our chief and our commander always talk about, there's ways to go to college," Nagy said. "Don't give up, don't close doors that you know, you haven't gotten a chance to look through."

Without the scholarship, Nagy said college would have meant loans and financial struggles.  Instead, she'll be easily on her way to the University of Florida next year to study biochemistry.  Nagy will be working toward a career as a pathologist in the Navy.