Motivation. Dedication. Perseverance. These are the three keys to making it through a Service Academy and becoming a military officer. First, you must be motivated. You must burn with the passion of attending a Service Academy and commissioning in the military. You must be certain that the military is where you want to be. You must want it to a level where you are willing to endure the hardships you are certain to face. Finally, you must’ve wanted this, in colloquial terms, all your life. I quote my counselor on a very insightful statement regarding this quality: “Attending [a Service Academy] is not something that you should decide on in 11th grade when looking into colleges. It is something that you must want [with the utmost passion] since
