It’s often said that the Service Academies bring out characteristics in young men and women that they didn’t know they had. In my DD’s case, that certainly holds true, even though she has yet to step foot on the campus. Because of the vision of attending a Service Academy (that started a few years ago) , she became an athlete, a leader in school, a 2nd LT in Civil Air Patrol, and so on. The best part has been riding in the car together to all those activities.. laughing, complaining about trivial nonsense, bragging about small victories, Starbucks at 4AM, developing a world class work ethic and attitude, and the bonding that comes with all that. lt has been an amazing journey that we wouldn’t trade for anything. I hope that her waiver is granted and that USCGA is another piece of the definition of who she is. I am certainly grateful for ALL the brave young men and women who want to serve our country. Good luck to everyone this week!