A 2020 Escalon High School graduate, Miguel Angel Souza Jr., was recently the recipient of a special commendation award.

During high school, he wrestled for Escalon High and was part of the State Championship football team. After high school, he attended Cal Poly University Pomona, where he earned a B.S. in Civil Engineering. Souza, who was born and raised in Escalon, also always had a desire to serve his country, so he began the process of becoming a commissioned officer in the US Army.

On April 23, 2026, he graduated from basic training at Fort Benning, located in Georgia. During basic training, he was awarded an Army Commendation Medal and was named Top Shot, achieving a score of 39 out of 40.

Currently, Souza is attending Officer Candidate School (OCS) at Fort Benning, GA, with the training to take place over 12 weeks.