Under a polite and pleasant exterior, Estelle Shannon of Kalispell is tenacious.

Despite a childhood of hardships the stalwart 17-year-old has shown resilience, earning a full-ride scholarship to attend Virginia Military Institute.

Before she was adopted at age 13, Estelle’s life was filled with instability — moving from town to town with her biological father, never certain where she would sleep or eat. 

“It’s the kind of life you have to live on guard all the time to protect yourself. I protected my brothers and sisters most of the time,” she said.

When her biological father moved them to the Yaak area of Northwest Montana, she met Laron “D” and Elizabeth Shannon, who would eventually adopt her.

“When we met her she was living in a tent, bathing in a bucket and going to bed hungry every night,” D said. “We adopted her a year later after her biological family fell apart to meth and other issues. Her journey from foundling to one of the ‘few’ — of the ‘The Few, the Proud’ — is nothing short of miraculous.”

Estelle lived with the Shannons for about five months and was devastated when her biological father decided to move them to Oregon.

“Then, my dad just left one day and never came back,” she said.

“So, I went to live with my biological mother. She was the only close family that I knew [living in Oregon],” Estelle said.

Once again, she adapted and tried to keep the threads of her life from completely unraveling. Yet, within a month tragedy struck again. One day her mother was beaten and injured by a boyfriend. Estelle stood guard in the doorway, acting as the barrier between him and her siblings.

“I waited in the doorway. Just kind of waiting for him to come in. If he did he’d have to go through me,” Estelle said. 

Uncertain what to do, she called the Shannons and helped her mother get to a hospital. The Shannons made the 12-hour trip to pick her up. 

“After that, they adopted me,” she said.

She moved to the Shannons’ ranch in the Yaak and discovered the unconditional love of family. She also gained a sister and two brothers. Since they lived so remotely, the children were homeschooled.

“I moved in with the Shannons and things got normal. It was kind of weird at first to be with a normal family. You know, you had dinner every night and you were in the same house all the time,” Estelle said. “You never had to worry about someone drinking and fighting. I mean, it was totally new to me.”

When D was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and was bed-ridden, her adopted mother had to stay in town during the week to work as a hospice nurse. Estelle answered the call of duty, helping look after her father and younger brother who has Down syndrome. Estelle and her older brother looked after the ranch, once fending off wolves preying on the family’s livestock.

Estelle said she learned “that responsibility never sleeps.”

When the Shannons moved to Kalispell, Estelle was able to take dual college and high school credits in Flathead Valley Community College’s Running Start program. She also had a night job cleaning medical offices and completed the Spartan Race in 2013.

When Estelle formally received her scholarship through the U.S. Marine Corps option of the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps, she was so excited she kept the oversized check, which sits in her room.

She will be the fifth generation to continue the military legacy of her adoptive family. D is a Marine and Virginia Military Institute alumni. D’s father, Army 1st Lt. Kenneth Arthur Shannon, was killed in the Vietnam War. D’s grandfather was part of the Flying Tigers during World War II. Recently, Estelle attended her older adopted brother’s graduation from the U.S. Marine Corps boot camp. 

“I really wanted to give something back,” Estelle said. “All my biological family used to do was to take. Take from the government, cheat, lied and stole all the time. I wanted to break that chain. Give back and do something for my country.”

On Thursday Estelle opened a new chapter in her life and left for Virginia Military Institute, where she will participate the college’s Summer Transition Program. During the summer, she will acclimate herself to campus life at a military college — living in the barracks, eating in the mess hall, undergoing physical training and taking a college class before her first year when she enters the mentally and physically demanding “Rat Line,” where she will experience the rigors of military life and academics. 

When she graduates from Virginia Military Institute she will be commissioned as an officer and enter a specialty school. Estelle has her sights set on becoming a pilot or going into public affairs.                     

Last summer she began the application process for the scholarship. Scholarship applicants were screened on a combination of criteria involving grade-point average, athleticism and community service. 

Estelle was the only scholarship recipient for Montana. She was one of four recipients in the tristate area of Montana, Idaho and Utah, and was among 45 students awarded for the entire Western region, according to U.S. Marines Capt. William Weyrauch. He noted that she scored 281 out of a possible 300 on a required physical fitness test.

Weyrauch spoke to Estelle’s resilience and remarkable childhood that shaped her into a selfless leader.

“She demonstrates the leadership traits such as honor, courage, and commitment and puts her family and friends before her own personal needs,” Weyrauch said, adding that quality of selflessness in essential to a Marine Corps officer.

“This combination of mental, moral and physical courage made Estelle Shannon stand out as an applicant.”

In her personal statement on the scholarship application, Estelle said she wanted to pay it forward to her adoptive family and to her country.

“The Shannons’ values stuck to me like glue: Honesty, commitment, courage and integrity. My father walks with a quiet pride. I learned that came with being a VMI graduate and a Marine. I want that in me.”

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or by email at hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.