Rep. Napolitano Hosts Annual Military Academy Day

Press Release

On Saturday, November 1, Rep. Grace F. Napolitano hosted a successful military academy information session at West Covina Senior Citizen Center to give students, parents, and educators a chance to learn more about educational opportunities in our nation's military academies.

"We thank the City of West Covina, our special guests, and volunteers for making this year's Military Academy Day possible," Napolitano said. "Thank you to the students and families for coming here to gain a better understanding of the admission process and connect with liaisons from our distinguished service academies. It is never too early to start preparing youngsters for their futures, and we wish them all the very best."

Approximately 50 students spoke with representatives from West Point and the Navy, Coast Guard, Air Force, and Merchant Marine service academies as well as the National Guard. Brigadier General Mark Toy, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers--South Pacific Division, spoke enthusiastically about the opportunity before students on Saturday.

"What I love about coming here is I was in these students' shoes back in 1982," said General Toy. "The journey they're going to start is going to be an incredible experience for them. After so many years I am still in the Army, and it is because of this love of serving the nation and developing leaders. You see a lot of these students here today; when they get into one of these academies you will see next year they will be totally different people. Each and every year they will grow, and once they graduate, they will become leaders."

"Job skills, leadership skills, and setting you up for success are some of the reasons why I am considering applying to one of the service academies," said Jonathan Aguilar, Sunburst Youth Challenge Academy cadet.

Our nation's military service academies are consistently ranked by U.S. News and World Report as some of the most selective and competitive colleges in the world. Applicants to U.S. military academies need to be nominated by their local Representative. Interested students should submit their information to Rep. Napolitano's district office in El Monte by Monday, November 17, including:

* A completed Academy Nomination Application form (visit http://napolitano.house.gov/serving-you/military-academy-nominations)

* One or two letters of recommendation

* A personal statement indicating why you should be considered

* High school and/or college transcripts

* Copy of SAT or ACT score

For more information, call Napolitano's district office at (626) 350-0150.

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