Students interested in military futures attend Academy Night

Photo by Dawn Quinn

Local high school students interested in obtaining more information about possible futures in a U.S. service academy were invited to an orientation session May 19 to see where their futures could take them.

Held by U.S. Con-gressman Adam Smith at Columbia Junior High School May 19, the academy sessions are held annually in the Ninth Legislative District. One of Smith’s goals in his position in D.C. is to nom-inate various students that he believes should go onward into these academies. “(One of Smith’s) main goals is to help his constituents through the academy nomination process. Without a U.S. Representative nomination, most academies will not consider a student for an appointment. We want to be proactive with this process as it is an incredible opportunity for young men and women who want an education and to serve their country,” said Rebecca Snyder, constituent services/academy coordinator for Smith.

Many students currently in high school don’t know the difference between the various academies, so these sessions give them the chance to speak with officers and gain information to help them make a decision for their futures.

“Many young people say that they never knew these opportunities existed,” Snyder noted. “We focus on high school juniors so that they can prepare over the summer, focus their files on certain academies, physically prepare themselves, and create their nomination packages.” Nominations are held during the fall of the stundent’s senior years.

The academies represented during Academy Night were the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, U.S. Naval Academy, U.S. Air Force Academy, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.

Due to the location of the Ft. Lewis Army post and McChord Air Force Base within the district, many of the interested students coming to these sessions are from military families, granting more visibility to military organizations.

The goals of these events are primarily to distribute information and to let students know exactly what it is they need to qualify for the academies. “These sessions let interested individuals talk to service officers one-on-one so they can get advice,” Snyder said, noting that sometimes students aren’t aware of all that is needed to qualify, such as medical requirements, SAT scores, and volunteer and community service hours.

“Academies are looking for a whole person.”

In addition to juniors in high school, younger freshmen and sophomores also attend the events to get a head-start on what kind of classes they might need to take before the application time approaches. “(Our) office is open year-round,” Snyder stated. “It is important to start early. We’re open for all students.”

The students attending these recruitment events are eager and ready to find out how to pursue this path, Snyder notes, and parental support is definitely key to achieving their goals. “Ninety percent of students who come to the info sessions apply for nomination. Most have already decided that this is the direction they want to take. Parents come and get information and it’s great that they get involved and are sounding boards. Parent involvement is incredibly important at this time, just like it is for any student applying to college.”

The representative’s office receives incredibly positive feedback from students, parents and officers after these events. “Their goal is to get the best and brightest the opportunity so that these kids can succeed,” Snyder said.

For more information about the student application process for service academies, contact Rebecca Snyder at the Tacoma district office at (253) 593-6600.

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