Cloudy. Low around 65F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph..
Cloudy. Low around 65F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph.
Updated: August 11, 2025 @ 7:00 pm
2022 CHS graduate and current UCLA Bruin Nico DiMatteo poses with Maggie Coleman while accepting the 2025 Jerry Coleman Scholarship on Sunday July 6th at Petco Park.
2022 CHS graduate and current UCLA Bruin Nico DiMatteo poses with Maggie Coleman while accepting the 2025 Jerry Coleman Scholarship on Sunday July 6th at Petco Park.
On Sunday, July 6th, 2025, Coronado High School graduate and class of 2022 valedictorian, Nico DiMatteo, was awarded the San Diego Padres Foundation’s Jerry Coleman Scholarship.
The Jerry Coleman Scholarship is awarded in honor of former New York Yankee second baseman and San Diego Padres broadcast legend Jerry Coleman. Prior to his time in the MLB, Coleman served in the Korean War and World War II. Coleman flew 120 combat missions, earning several military medals, including two Distinguished Flying Crosses, and would become the only Major League Baseball player to see combat in two different wars.
“I was just incredibly honored and appreciative that I was selected as the recipient of the Jerry Coleman Scholarship,” said DiMatteo. “I cannot thank the Tailhook Foundation, the Padres, and everyone involved enough. The Tailhook Foundation, throughout the entire process, has been incredibly generous and supportive of me.”
DiMatteo was one of over 1,000 students who applied for the Jerry Coleman Scholarship. The application took into account his current grades as well as two written essays. DiMatteo currently holds a 4.0 at UCLA and serves as the captain of the UCLA men’s rugby team.
Winning the scholarship also had another personal layer for DiMatteo. His grandfather, and namesake, CDR Dominic DiMatteo, also served during WWII and flew the same aircraft as Jerry Coleman.
“My grandfather also flew the F-4U Corsair at the same time as Jerry Coleman. So just having that heritage and connection, really felt like a unique connection,” said DiMatteo.
As part of winning the scholarship, DiMatteo and his family were invited to Petco Park. Prior to the first pitch, DiMatteo was down on the field pre-game and was able to meet and shake hands with Padres legends Trevor Hoffman, Randy Jones, and Jake Peavy. He aslo met and talked with current players and coaches, such as Manager Mike Shildt and Joe Musgrove.
“Being a lifelong Padres fan and being able to go down on the field and meet a couple of Hall of Famers, and Padres legends, was amazing,” commented DiMatteo. “It was an amazing experience as a fan, but it was also a unique opportunity to see how the Padres organization actually runs everything. The organization was just extremely welcoming.”
Along with getting to meet with players and coaches on the field, DiMatteo was presented with the Jerry Coleman Scholarship prior to the first pitch. Presenting the check/scholarship to him would be Jerry Coleman’s wife, Maggie Coleman.
Since accepting the award, DiMatteo has remained busy this summer, working as a summer intern for KPGM Consulting in New York City.
Still only in college, DiMatteo has plenty of time to decide what he will want to do full-time in the future. However, the thought of following in his grandfather, father, and uncle’s footsteps, all of whom served in the United States Navy, has crossed his mind.
“It’s something I have thought about, especially with not only my grandfather being a veteran, but my dad and uncle also being Navy veterans,” said DiMatteo. “I am very lucky, though, to have the opportunity to go through college first before making my decision on what I want to do. It’s great that I get to pursue my education, and then, hopefully, have all options open later in life.”
VOL. 115, NO. 32 – Aug. 6, 2025
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