Students encouraged to learn about service academies

Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard, center, at a previous service academy workshop.

DOWNEY — High school students interested in attending one of the five U.S. military service academies will have an opportunity to ask questions from Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard on Saturday, Sept. 28, at City Hall, 9 –10:30 a.m.

Family members are encouraged to attend as well. Registration opens at 8:30 a.m. No RSVP is required.

The application process is rigorous for students seeking to attend the four-year academies of West Point, Annapolis, the Air Force, Merchant Marine, or the Coast Guard. These academies are ranked among the top colleges in the country and have highly selective acceptance rates.

Roybal-Allard explains that she hosts this annual workshop for her constituents because “I think this is really, really important. It’s an incredible opportunity for young people who want to go into the military.”

Admission to one of the academies is the equivalent of receiving a four-year college scholarship that covers tuition, room and board, and even provides a small stipend. Roybal-Allard estimates the full value of this free education to be in the neighborhood of $200,000.

Cadets and midshipmen graduate as commissioned officers with a Bachelor of Science degree. The Annapolis website stresses that academic majors are designed to provide preparation for graduate level work.

While the majority of degrees earned are in the fields of science and technology, coursework also includes a liberal arts foundation.

The Air Force website, for example, says that the academy “balances STEM with the arts and humanities.” The Coast Guard website describes a liberal arts based-core curriculum. Recognizing the importance of communication across all disciplines, West Point offers a writing program.

Students begin active military status when they enroll in an academy, but their rank is that of cadet or midshipman. During their four years of college, Roybal-Allard explains, “the focus is on academics and leadership skills.”

In exchange, cadets and midshipmen agree to serve in the military for a minimum of five years after graduation. Some officers elect to remain in the service longer.

For those who wish to enter the private sector after five years, Roybal-Allard says, “They are sought after by many companies.”

She stresses that the Saturday event “is absolutely not a recruiting process. It is simply informational. This is for someone who wants to go into the military and will serve five years.”

Besides learning about the nuts and bolts of the application process, there is a compelling additional reason for interested students to attend the workshop.

Along with the expected requirements of transcripts and test scores, etc., applicants to four of the academies must also be nominated by a government official, such a Congressional Representative, Senator, Vice President, or President. A nomination does not guarantee admission, but an application will not move forward without one.

As a member of Congress, Roybal-Allard is authorized to recommend students who live in the 40th Congressional District to fill five slots each for West Point, Annapolis, Air Force, and Merchant Marine. The U.S. Coast Guard Academy does not require a nomination.

The Saturday workshop is an opportunity to meet the Congresswoman in person and understand what qualities are valued in potential nominees.

The deadline for academy nominations is October 30. Applicants eligible for nomination by the Congresswoman must be U.S. citizens and live in her district, which includes Bell, Bell Gardens, Commerce, Cudahy, Downey, Huntington Park, Maywood, Paramount, Vernon, and portions of Bellflower, East Los Angeles, Florence-Firestone, and South Los Angeles

Applicants must also have first opened an application directly with their chosen academy.

Roybal-Allard says her selections are influenced by applicants’ “written statement of why they want to go into an academy.”

Leadership Skills Valued

While the admissions process is selective, students should not assume that only those applicants with the highest GPAs and test scores will be admitted.

“The academies look for leadership skills, physical fitness, and whether a student holds some kind of leadership role in school or the community,” Roybal-Allard elaborates. “They also look for community service and language skills. This gives them [applicants] a better chance of getting into the academy.”

The website for West Point stresses the importance of critical thinking skills, physical fitness, character, “grit,” and “a desire for challenge and to be part of something bigger than themselves.”

In certain cases, the military offers additional academic assistance to students with lower marks who are otherwise viewed as desirable candidates.

“If they see someone who has a lot of potential in leadership and community service,” says Roybal-Allard, “they may accept them in a prep academy. They will attend classes and bring up their grades, sharpen their grades. Then they may be moved to a 4-year academy.”

Community college attendance is also a viable way for students to meet the academic requirements. The academies may consider candidates, without dependents, up to the age of twenty-three.

Roybal-Allard thinks it is important for parents to attend the workshop as well because it provides an opportunity for them to voice their fears and concerns about a child going into the military. When possible, she tries to include a parent or grandparent of a graduate as a speaker.

“They talk about their fears and concerns that they had when their son or daughter wanted to go into the service. It is really helpful because it helps some of the parents understand that their concerns are valid, and that there is a support system in place for the cadet.”

A few years ago a husband and wife, who were both graduates of the naval academy, spoke at the service academy workshop.

Roybal-Allard recalls that this nomination process for the service academies was new to her when she first entered the House of Representatives in 1993.

Realizing the significant opportunity offered by the military service academies, she says, “I started taking information to high schools, counselors, and principals. It took some time to help our schools understand that we were not trying to recruit.”

Recruitment for enlistees is a big concern among residents of the 40th District which is predominantly Latino.

Local schools have since come to better understand the role and mission of service academies and the impact they can have on young lives.

“The various military service academies provide an outstanding university education that is tuition-free,” says Downey Unified School District Superintendent Dr. John Garcia. “Military service academies are widely recognized as the best education value in the nation with the added opportunity of service our country upon graduation.”

“I’m hoping that more and more young people who are interested in going into the military would consider one of the academies,” says Roybal-Allard. Students can learn more about admissions process on the Congresswoman’s website.

Students interested in attending any of the academies can also browse the specific websites:

U.S. Military Academy (West Point)
www.usma.edu

U.S. Naval Academy (Annapolis)
www.usna.edu

U.S. Air Force Academy
www.usafa.edu

U.S. Merchant Marine Academy
www.usmma.edu

U.S. Coast Guard Academy (congressional nomination not required)
www.cga.edu