In the 2013-2014 school year,  Phoenix Military Academy one of the top alumni graduated Former cadet, Martin Bellido, graduated at the top of his class, ranked as number ten with a 4.3 GPA, and a 23 on his ACT. Bellido graduated from Phoenix and received a full ride from one of the top  universities in the country.

“I am currently at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign with a full ride from various scholarships I earned,” said Bellido.

Bellido is the only student from Phoenix to earn the Greenhouse Scholarship, and one of two cadets to ever win the World Sports Chicago Scholarship.

“I’m paying for college with the scholarships I earned such as the George M. Pullman scholarship, the Greenhouse Scholarship, World Sports Chicago, and many more,” said Bellido.

Aside from being a full time student, Bellido is highly interested in fitness. His passion for fitness began in high school when he was a part of the Raider Team.  He was on the team for four years and his graduating class of raiders was the last class to win first place overall. With a devotion for fitness he decided  to become a certified personal trainer.  

“I have made my own startup project entitled ‘Grit Life’ centered around mental and physical strength. I have become a personal trainer to help others achieve their fitness goals,” said Bellido.

While at Phoenix the school he did not have  as many resources and there were not as many advanced classes. Yet he still moved onto majoring in the very prestigious and competitive  field of chemical engineering.

“Mr. Mayr, Mr. Edwards, Sgt. Powell, and Mr. Waller all helped me develop as a student. None wasted my time, however, their teaching methods were not as strong,” said Bellido.

After graduating from Phoenix, Bellido has clearly succeeded in college, and will continue to soar to new heights. Phoenix graduates are very prestigious cadets and Martin Bellido is a very clear example of it.