Scott-McCabe named ROTC student marshal
5/1/2020
By Tessa M. Woodring
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Diego Scott-McCabe, a Penn State nuclear engineering senior, will be honored by the College of Engineering as the student marshal for the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC). He will represent the program at the virtual Penn State spring commencement on May 9.
Captain Wayne Wall, former commanding officer of the USS Wyoming and current commanding officer of the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC), will be Scott-McCabe’s faculty marshal, an honor chosen by the student because of Wall’s mentorship and guidance.
Scott-McCabe, of Pooler, Georgia, is the son of Paul Scott and Judy McCabe. Growing up, Scott-McCabe had an interest in math and physics, so going into engineering was an easy decision for him.
“I have always been excited by naval nuclear power, and so I thought that taking nuclear engineering would give me a head start in my submarine career,” Scott-McCabe said. “Over the past few years, I’ve grown to love nuclear power the more I learn about it.”
According to Scott-McCabe, he always knew he wanted to join the military at some point in his life. He made the decision to obtain a college degree and be a part of ROTC in order to gain the technical skills he needed to help him succeed in the military.
“Both are demanding endeavors to take on while at college,” Scott-McCabe said. “Engineering took up a ton of my time, and I learned a lot of technical information as well as how to manage my time. Likewise, ROTC demanded much of my day. For ROTC activities, I would wake up very early three days a week, and then study for engineering exams until very late at night. Because of this, I’ve learned how to manage my time and plan for the future, and how I can learn and operate more efficiently.”
While at Penn State, he was a member of numerous clubs — Nuclear Navy Club, NROTC Aviation Club and the intramural frisbee team. He also received first place in the Villanova Military Excellence Competition Drill in 2017 and 2018. Through these extracurriculars, Scott-McCabe was able to meet people who would eventually become a big part of his life.
“I have met so many great people here, plenty of life-long friends and great memories of friends that will stay with me for life,” Scott-McCabe said. “My fondest memory was from first year, when I started playing ultimate frisbee on the arboretum lawn with some people I barely knew. From that group, I found three people who would go on to be my roommates for my remaining time at Penn State and my girlfriend, Jess.”
Scott-McCabe was also able to connect with staff members while at Penn State. He credits the NROTC staff for helping him succeed in his academic and military career.
“The Penn State NROTC staff are some of the best people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting,” Scott-McCabe said. “They care deeply about every individual that enters their program and have gone to extraordinary lengths to ensure that my peers and I will succeed in our naval careers.”
After graduation, Scott-McCabe will be stationed in Charleston, South Carolina for Navy Nuclear Power School. From there, he plans to serve on submarines in the Navy.
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Diego Scott-McCabe. IMAGE: PROVIDED
