josieallred
Midshipman Candidate- NAPS
- Joined
- Mar 22, 2021
- Messages
- 15
Please ignore any grammatical errors, this is my rough draft and I haven't ran it by my English teachers yet. Other than that, does anybody have any pointers for my essay?
(1) Describe what led to your initial interest in the naval service and how the Naval Academy will help you achieve your long-range goals, and
(2) Describe a personal experience you have had which you feel has contributed to your own character development and integrity.
When I reflect on my initial interest in attending the Naval Academy, the first image that comes to my mind is the pride in my grandfather's eyes when he used to announce, “I served in the U.S. Navy: the greatest fighting force in the world.” His love for the Navy was inspiring, and I often wondered where such gratification stemmed from. With multiple family members enlisting in the military, the idea of serving was often in the back of my mind. However, this idea turned into an aspiration my freshman year. With the hopes of becoming a career Naval Officer, my attention was turned towards the United States Naval Academy.
The Naval Academy produces many of the best leaders of our generation and successful military personnel in the world. I want to serve the country that has afforded me so many opportunities in the best way possible and receive the training to do so through this institution. Midshipmen learn valuable lessons from the curriculum at the Academy that lays the foundation for the rest of their career. The unique camaraderie upholds discipline, pride and honor, among many other characteristics I want to adopt and take with me into the fleet. Laying the foundation to a successful career starts with the first brick: a starting point that I hope for me will be at the Academy. While in the Navy, I hope to fly fixed wing aircraft as a Naval Aviator. It is my dream to eventually take off from a carrier on an E-2C Hawkeye.
To ensure the Academy and the Navy was the right fit for me, I connected with current midshipmen and retired Naval Officers. I also got a part time job in order to save up for my tuition to Naval Academy Summer Seminar as well as two Navy sports camps. While on campus, I took a guided tour of the Academy the day it reopened after the Covid-19 shutdown. In addition, to better understand the mission of the Navy, I toured the USS North Carolina and checked out multiple books about Naval History at my local library, such as The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors, The Bluejackets Manual and The Making of a Navy SEAL.
Volunteering with Cougar Crew through my school's Beta Club has proved to be one of the most rewarding things I have done. Cougar Crew pairs club members with at-risk elementary schoolers in order to provide a trusted mentor for students. Once a month, I would meet with my two buddies, work on projects with them and talk to them about whatever was on their mind. Learning their individual stories impacted me deeply and humbled me. I monitored their health and attitude by being their pen pals and encouraged them to keep their heads up. Helping these individuals to get off on a good foot in life helped me understand the importance of reputation, integrity and honor. Beta Club has taught me to lead by serving others.
(1) Describe what led to your initial interest in the naval service and how the Naval Academy will help you achieve your long-range goals, and
(2) Describe a personal experience you have had which you feel has contributed to your own character development and integrity.
When I reflect on my initial interest in attending the Naval Academy, the first image that comes to my mind is the pride in my grandfather's eyes when he used to announce, “I served in the U.S. Navy: the greatest fighting force in the world.” His love for the Navy was inspiring, and I often wondered where such gratification stemmed from. With multiple family members enlisting in the military, the idea of serving was often in the back of my mind. However, this idea turned into an aspiration my freshman year. With the hopes of becoming a career Naval Officer, my attention was turned towards the United States Naval Academy.
The Naval Academy produces many of the best leaders of our generation and successful military personnel in the world. I want to serve the country that has afforded me so many opportunities in the best way possible and receive the training to do so through this institution. Midshipmen learn valuable lessons from the curriculum at the Academy that lays the foundation for the rest of their career. The unique camaraderie upholds discipline, pride and honor, among many other characteristics I want to adopt and take with me into the fleet. Laying the foundation to a successful career starts with the first brick: a starting point that I hope for me will be at the Academy. While in the Navy, I hope to fly fixed wing aircraft as a Naval Aviator. It is my dream to eventually take off from a carrier on an E-2C Hawkeye.
To ensure the Academy and the Navy was the right fit for me, I connected with current midshipmen and retired Naval Officers. I also got a part time job in order to save up for my tuition to Naval Academy Summer Seminar as well as two Navy sports camps. While on campus, I took a guided tour of the Academy the day it reopened after the Covid-19 shutdown. In addition, to better understand the mission of the Navy, I toured the USS North Carolina and checked out multiple books about Naval History at my local library, such as The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors, The Bluejackets Manual and The Making of a Navy SEAL.
Volunteering with Cougar Crew through my school's Beta Club has proved to be one of the most rewarding things I have done. Cougar Crew pairs club members with at-risk elementary schoolers in order to provide a trusted mentor for students. Once a month, I would meet with my two buddies, work on projects with them and talk to them about whatever was on their mind. Learning their individual stories impacted me deeply and humbled me. I monitored their health and attitude by being their pen pals and encouraged them to keep their heads up. Helping these individuals to get off on a good foot in life helped me understand the importance of reputation, integrity and honor. Beta Club has taught me to lead by serving others.
