My Interest in Attending the Naval Academy Summer Seminar

My Interest in Attending the Naval Academy Summer Seminar

As a US citizen, I have always desired to serve and give back to this nation that offered me great opportunities to flourish and attain success. While I was not raised in a military home, I have been privileged to associate with military men and women. I have always admired how they diligently perform their duties and faithfully serve this country. They have put their lives at risk to serve their motherland. They stay away from their families for extended periods, deployed in far-flung nations for the sake of bringing order and securing our country. Their families live in anxiety whenever they hear of military plane accidents. There is no greater sacrifice than this that one can ever give to his or her country. While my awareness of the demanding nature of the military life would have made me turn my back, it has not.

On the contrary, the more I see the sacrifices made by the men and women in uniform, the more I want to serve this country. I find American military personnel as different from the rest of the population. They are the heroes and heroines of our nation, and I desire to walk in their footsteps.

To this end, attending a service academy has always been one of the primary goals of my life. Serving my motherland would be a follow-through of my devotion to service towards the academy and then the US army. The privilege of being part of a service academy attracts significant obligation and dedication to serving in the military for a pre-specified number of years following graduation, and I am ready for the call ahead. Service academies are distinct from other institutions of higher learning since they challenge their learners mentally, physically, and morally. Graduates from service academies are not only specialists in there varying spheres of learning, but also stand up as the voice of reason in today’s volatile social and political environment. I have always desired a challenge to establish a threshold for myself, so I may strive to attain and conquer my limitations and yet remain humble. Following the creation of a standard for myself, I also desire to have a deeper understanding of the discipline and hopefully share it with peers. Integrity and discipline have been sacrificed in the pursuit of material gain and social honour. Therefore, it falls on the shoulders of young people like me to remind our counterparts on the need of upholding discipline. There is no better place other than the service academy and the military life that will adequately prepare me for this role. If accorded the opportunity, I would love to take part in the United States Naval Academy Summer Seminar.

The reason I am interested in attending the USNA summer seminar is to get a first-hand experience at the college and to have a final decision on whether I want to go there or not because I want to know if it is going to suit me very well or not. If it suits me very well, it will push me to work even harder to get accepted into the school. Currently, I am not involved in any STEM programs or received any rewards in these areas, but I have been involved with the STEM programs during my past summer. I have done service trips in and out of school, helping the elderly and even younger children. One of the service trips, which I attended, entailed working at the adult activities centre. When I was there, I worked with several different people who had different abilities. I did various activities with them so they could enjoy themselves and be happy. Some of the things which I did include, playing basketball, Bingo, Karaoke, playing cards. I realized that my engagement with them meant a lot to them. Even having a simple conversation with them made them happy. The experience provided a great lesson to me and informed me of the need to take the time of our busy schedules and remember the aged persons in society. Another one of the sites I was at Citizens Academy East. While I was there, I helped 1st graders with different subjects they needed help with and also played games with them.

Two years ago, I encountered a near-death encounter, which fueled my resolve to pursue what I want. It was in the summer, and my family had visited one of our longtime family friends who reside in Florida. While there, we went for an evening bike ride, encouraged by the weather, which was warm and welcoming. However, all the fun and fare came to a sudden stop when two of us, riding at high speed, hit a pothole and crashed on the tarmac. I was the one who was badly off, having hit my head on the road. Fortunately, the driver of an oncoming garbage truck reacted quickly and stopped the vehicle a few meters from where we crashed. I was rushed to a nearby health facility and discharged three days later. From that incidence, I learned that human life is increasingly fragile, and I should pursue my goals in life with greater urgency. I am actively engaged in sporting activities, especially in swimming and playing basketball, which has become one of my favourite sports. I have become a great swimmer and have won several medals in swimming competitions that I have participated in. Besides, I have put significant efforts in my studies to ensure that I attain good grades, which will provide me with a competitive edge when applying for admission to the service academy. In the course of my sporting activities and studies, I have learned to be relentless and to always get the work done, despite the prevailing obstacles. Therefore, I believe that an opportunity to attend the United States Naval Academy Summer Seminar will put me in the right path toward my desire to serve my country in the military and a change agent in society.