Clarkston High School graduating senior Josephine Auchterlonie has a bright future in her sights, after earning the 2015-2016 Civilian Marksmanship Program Youth Scholarship.
The sharpshooter earned the $1,000 scholarship with her marksmanship, grade point average, and merit.
“It’s a pretty big deal. It took a lot of hard work,” said Auchterlonie, who also achieved the rank of Distinguished Expert in the Winchester/National Rifle Association’s Marksmanship Qualification Program and an Oakland County Sportsman’s Club Junior Rifle Program Scholarship.
Her grandfather, Harry Goodell of Springfield Township, introduced her to the sport of competitive rifle shooting about five years ago, though she has been shooting all her life.
“In general, ever since I could hold a gun,” she said. “It’s a really unique sort. Not a lot of people are in it.”
“I’m proud of her,” Goodell said. “I’ve brought her here (to the sportsmen’s club) every Monday night, and Port Huron for matches.?
“The sportsmen’s club is a nice facility,” said Auchterlonie, whose parents are Rob and Lori Auchterlonie. “The junior rifle team is a great program to learn sport shooting.”
CMP staff and board members reviewed hundreds of applications from across the country to determine the winners.
Eligible applicants were graduating seniors from JROTC, high school, club or 4-H programs who participated in marksmanship programs and also excelled both academically and within their communities.
Auchterlonie also stays busy with competitive ballroom dance, bassoon, piano, coaches soccer, and community service and mission trips at St. Dan’s.
She will be attending James Madison College at Michigan State University in the fall, where she will study pre-law and international affairs, with a minor in Japanese, to become an attorney in business or corporate law.
She also hopes to continue competitive shooting.
“The shooting sports at MSU, if time allows,” she said. “This is something you can do your whole life, which is cool.”
She learned to target shoot using a Remington 540 .22 single shot match target rifle with a six-inch extension for a longer sight plane radius, which her grandfather gave her.
“I traded to get it,” Goodell said. “I was looking for a target rifle. I love .22s”
She used an Anschutz Match 54 target rifle when earning the distinguished award, but she has a soft spot for the older model.
“The Remington is my favorite,” she said.
Goodell, 80, is a longtime member of the Oakland County Sportsmen’s Club, and has been a shooter since he was about 16 years old.
“All my life, hunting mostly,” he said. I got into competitive trap and target shooting when I was 21.”
For more information about the CMP and its programs, log onto www.TheCMP.org.