EMBARKING ON AN ACADEMIC MISSION.

Byline: KAREN MAESHIRO Staff Writer

QUARTZ HILL -- When Quartz Hill High School senior Matthew Ward goes off to the U.S. Air Force Academy in the fall, he will be following a family tradition.

Ward's father, a retired Air Force fighter pilot who now works for Lockheed Martin, and his older brother both attended the Colorado school.

``First of all my dad and brother both went there so I'm pretty familiar with the school to say the least,'' said Ward, 18. ``Also I would like to go into the medical field in the military so that I don't have debts for the rest of my life.''

College tuition debt will be the least of Ward's worries. The education, food and housing provided to Ward during his four years at the Air Force Academy is valued at more than $374,000 and includes a monthly stipend of $800.

Ward was among 122 seniors at Quartz Hill High School who received more than $2 million in scholarships, the most ever at the school, district officials said.

Depending on Ward's class ranking when he graduates and how well he does on the MCAT, or Medical College Admissions Test, the military will send Ward to medical school.

Life in the military has meant a lot of moving around for Ward, who has a 4.4 grade-point average. He was born in Spain, lived in northern Alberta, Canada, and has moved a total of eight times.

``I think (Spain) would've been the coolest place if I could remember it,'' Ward said.

He spent his freshman and sophomore years at Desert High School on Edwards Air Force Base, his junior year at a high school in Virginia, where his father was attending graduate school, and then finished his last year at Quartz Hill.

``It's been crazy. Different schools have different requirements as far as graduation requirements. I had to take extra classes,'' Ward said.

He runs cross country and track, played soccer, was a member of the National Honor Society and for the past five months has volunteered in the Antelope Valley Hospital emergency room.

``There's a volunteer program for high school students. You get to take vital signs and blood pressure and be in the ER,'' Ward said.

Ward said he plans to major in biochemistry and is thinking of becoming an orthopedic surgeon.

``I just got done reading an autobiography of an orthopedic surgeon. It sounded exciting,'' Ward said. ``I would like to stay in for 20 years to get retirement pay.''

Ward's father, Mark, graduated from the Air Force Academy in the Class of 1984, was a fighter pilot for 21 years and retired last September from the Air Force, Ward said.

``Now he flies the same planes for Lockheed Martin'' at Edwards, Ward said.

Ward's brother Brad, 20, graduated from Desert High and finished two years at the academy before leaving on a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

``He's in South Africa right now,'' Ward said.

Ward's brother will reapply to return to the academy and finish up his junior and senior year. Ward said he will also go on a church mission while at college.

Ward's mother is a stay-at-home mom and he has a younger sister and brother.

Ward leaves June 29.

``I'm definitely excited to go,'' he said.

karen.maeshiro(at)dailynews.com

[phone]

CAPTION(S):

photo

Photo:

(color) Athlete, honors student and aspiring surgeon Matthew Ward is excited about attending the U.S. Air Force Academy.

Jeff Goldwater/Staff Photographer