Application Essay: A Career In The Naval Academy

Before the summer of my sophomore year, I had not thought about my post high school plans beyond knowing I would like to attend college. However, I attended a STEM camp at Valparaiso University in Indiana where I met former astronaut and Naval Academy graduate, Ken Ham. He inspired me to not only begin my own flight training, but to start investigating the Naval Academy. The more I learned about the Naval Academy and the different opportunities that serving as an officer in the military presented, the more determined I became to attend. I understand that the decision to attend a service academy is not to be taken lightly. Besides researching online and reading books, I have attended service academy day in Oshkosh, Wisconsin since my sophomore year, and had conversations with my Blue and Gold Officer, Cory Bouck. One of my favorite parts about the service academy day is listening to current midshipmen talk about their experiences and what they are involved in. Their dedication, passion, and pride to serve the United States of America is evident in their presentations. This dedication and pride is something I feel …show more content…
It is only when our character is put to the test that we learn our strengths. My test came the winter of my junior year. I had just gotten home from school and let our two labradors outside. Our pond had not frozen over in the middle and I noticed something odd in the open water. I quickly realized that it was Diamond, our dog, in the hole in the ice. Running outside, I tried to coax her to climb out on her own. I knew the situation was getting desperate. She was having a hard time keeping her head above water. Carefully crawling out on the thin ice, I tried to pull her out by her collar, to no avail. Inching closer to the edge, I reached down into the water to take hold of her legs. Lifting her out, I carried her into the house and treated her for