2025 MSgt Rodney Lee Buentello Memorial Scholarship
Application Information
APPLICATION PROCESS
The application period extends exclusively from 1 January through 31 January. Applications postmarked after will not be considered. Applications and all supporting documents, including official transcripts postmarked after the deadline of 31 January, will not be considered.
A complete, new package must be submitted each time an applicant applies. Previous submissions will not be considered.
Applications will be accepted from students outside the continental U.S. (OCONUS) and attending an OCONUS college.
An acceptance letter from the college is still required.
For application status (qualified/disqualified only), the Scholarship Chairperson will respond to one email per applicant at alamo.det.mcl@gmail.com. The subject line should read STATUS OF SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION FOR (NAME OF APPLICANT). No telephone calls, postcards, letters, or multiple inquiries. No exceptions. Emails from parents, grandparents, or sponsors will not be answered. Applicant’s email only.
Applicants are urged not to wait until the end of the 31 January application period to mail in applications. The weather could affect the postmark date of the application. It is recommended that the applicant use certified mail as proof of delivery. The postmark date must be legible. If there is no postmark date visible, the application will not be accepted and will be returned if it is received after the 31 January deadline. The Post Office will hand-cancel a stamped postmark upon request for confirmation to the applicant. Mail applications to:
Alamo Detachment 315
c/o Scholarship Committee
P.O. Box 831641
San Antonio, Texas 78283-1641
NOTIFICATION PROCESS
Winner(s) will be announced February 11, 2025 at the MCL Meeting. The recipient will be notified by official email or letter, with the attached letter or by postal mail before 15 February. Selectees must confirm receipt of the announcement as indicated in the notification of selection email to alamo.det.mcl@gmail.com. Non-recipient applicants will be notified by official email with a letter as an attachment only as to why they were not selected.
RELEASE OF FUNDS
Upon selection of successful applicants, the checks will be mailed directly to the applicants after receipt of evidence that applicants have enrolled in the designated university/school. (Spring 2025 semester)
ESSAY SUBMISSIONS:
All applicants must complete the following statements: minimum 400-word statement; and maximum 1,000-word statement. Do not bullet list; we are looking for your ability to communicate in writing. Tell us why you have chosen the field you are about to pursue or currently in:
MARINE CORPS LEAGUE SCHOLARSHIP CHECKLIST
❑ COMPLETED APPLICATION FORM. The application must be typed. Handwritten applications will not be accepted.
❑ ESSAY SUBMISSION. Include the short (one) page essay. “Tell Us” why you have chosen your field of study.
❑ PROOF OF ELIGIBILITY. See requirements under eligibility for acceptable documents.
❑ PHOTO. A passport photo 2×2 (head/shoulder only and name written on the lower back). ID cards or snapshots are not acceptable. Passport photos only are accepted, not a copy of a passport.
❑ TWO PROFESSIONAL LETTERS OF REFERENCE. (Letters from relatives are not acceptable.) Letters must be written within the past year and attest to the applicant’s character, attitude, leadership ability, and scholastic participation. High school students must include two letters from school personnel on official letterhead, signed and sealed envelopes. DO NOT SEND copies of personal accolades. Other acceptable letters of reference may come from employers, military personnel, or anyone who can attest to your ability to succeed. Letters must be written within the last 12 months.
❑ COPY OF TRANSCRIPTS. All high school and college transcripts must be sent directly to the Scholarship Chair via mail or electronically to alamo.det.mcl@gmail.com. Parchment transcripts are acceptable. Applicants who have completed their first enlistment or have been out of the education pipeline for over ten years are not required to submit an official high school transcript. Students living outside the continental U.S. (OCONUS) who will be attending an OCONUS college should provide transcripts and any test scores the applicant has and must include a grading key in order to compare GPA/test scores with U.S. schools.
❑ LETTER OF ACCEPTANCE. Letter of acceptance for the following year from the applicant’s school of choice. Funds will not be released until proof of acceptance/enrollment is received.
❑ BE ENROLLED FULL TIME. All applicants must be enrolled as full-time students (12 credit hours) in order to be eligible for a Scholarship. Copies of course schedules are acceptable.
NOTE: All applications must be completed as stated in these procedures to be considered qualified. Incomplete packages will not be considered. Pay attention to detail.
ALAMO DETACHMENT 315
DEPARTMENT OF TEXAS
MARINE CORPS LEAGUE
MSgt Rodney Buentello Scholarship Fund
2025 Scholarship Application
APPLICANT INFORMATION
Last name _________________________ First name ________________________ MI_______
Physical Address ____________________________________________________________________
City _______________________________ State ____________ ZIP +4 Code ________________
Phone: ____________________________ Email __________________________________________
High School: ________________________________________________________________________
Date of graduation from high school, if still a student:
______________________________________________________________________________________
Name of College, Technical School or University Attending:
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Current Year :
_______HS Senior ______Freshman ______Sophomore ______Junior _______Senior
What special recognition, if any, have you received for academic excellence in high school/college? List all honors or other awards that you have received. (attach additional pages, if necessary)
List any extracurricular activities in high school/college: i.e., athletics, publications, school plays, debate, club work, band, choir, etc. (Attach additional pages, if necessary)
Name of Marine or Alamo Detachment member or Auxiliary member by which applicant is eligible:
Name: _____________________________________________________________________________
Address: ___________________________________________________________________________
City: _________________________ State: ________________________ Zip: ___________________
_________________________________________________________ _________________________
Applicant’s Signature Date Signed
To receive a e-mail copy of this package send an e-mail to alamo.det.mcl@gmail.com.
MSgt. Rodney Lee Buentello, USMC, Ret. was born June 27, 1973 and passed away on June 8, 2016. He survived four combat tours, one in Afghanistan and three in Iraq and he is a two-time recipient of the Purple Heart. He was a John Jay High School Alumni, worked at Jay as an ISS instructional assistant and volunteered as a coach for football and track. He is survived by his wife Lisa Marie Buentello, children; Ryan Lee, Roman Lawrence and Sage Buentello, parents; Raul and Yolanda Buentello, sister; Rosalie Williams husband Vaughn, brother; Louis Buentello, nieces; MacKenzie, Rylie, nephews; Tristen and Dillon Williams, and Matt Bara, Mother and Father in law; Richard A. Sr. and Diane Honeycutt, brother in law Richard A. Honeycutt Jr., and numerous amounts of family and friends.
Rodney Buentello was already a hero before he died. He was a Marine after all. But the retired master sergeant once again showed his bravery when he lost his life saving the lives of two teens. Buentello, a resident of San Antonio, was visiting a city park in Bandera, Texas, on Wednesday with his family when a teenage girl got swept away into a river trying to walk across a dam. A teen boy jumped in the water to save her but began to struggle himself. Buentello then dove in and saved the teens, but he drowned before he could be rescued, the city of Bandera Marshal’s Office said. Two signs constructed by the Texas Department of Transportation have designated a seven-mile stretch of Highway 173 as Master Sergeant Rodney Lee Buentello Memorial Highway. Bandera Pro Rodeo spearheaded the sign project and raised necessary funds through a public GoFundMe campaign.
