It is now officially out of my hands. Here is my personal statement for my Naval Academy application, and that finishes my package (on my end at least; I still have an interview with the CO, but that's not at my discretion). Now I get to sit and wait for my acceptance/denial letter, possibly as late as mid-april 
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If there was anything I used to
look forward to, it was a home game. We would march out at half-time with the
smell of the freshly cut grass wafting over us all to mingle with the delicious
aroma of fresh hot dogs and pizza emanating from the stands. I would breathe in
deeply and hear the crowds roar for us from the stands. The thrill of it all
was intoxicating!
I loved marching band in high
school; I devoted myself to it. And, consequently, there really was not all
that much else I felt I needed to devote myself to. School was fine. I never
liked language classes that much, but I got by well enough in everything else
and, then, I graduated. That is the Irvine way: life is good
and comfortable, so leave it at that.
I had always thought that I would
simply attend a community college, so I could keep playing my clarinet. After
that, I would transfer to a four-year university to finish my degree in music.
I would tell people my Grand Plan, they would smile, and I would always pray no
one asked me, “And then what?” I had no
idea. I imagined myself trying to hack it in the world with a clarinet alone.
What would my skills be? Who would I become?
Suddenly, complacency did not cut it as a life goal.
After a lot of searching and
questioning, I found what I wanted: a place of opportunity and a place of
purpose. I found the United States Navy. Since that instant, I have worked hard
for my Navy. It has given me a job I can be proud of, discipline to get me
through the best and worst of times, and academic skills to pass me through the
Navy’s nuclear pipeline with flying colors.
The Navy has given me room to grow
and expand who I am and what I can do, and I have every intention of continuing
to devote myself to it. I have met people from all walks of life and from
virtually every state in the Union; I have
learned how to leverage diversity to a group’s advantage. I have been
challenged by the nuclear training pipeline, and have become my “A” School
and Power School Honorman and Personal Excellence awards recipient.
More critically, I have been
granted the opportunity to be a leader amongst my peers, serving as
Master-At-Arms in Power School and Class Leader in “A” School.
These accomplishments have all led me to believe that I can better serve the
Navy as an officer. I have adopted the values so pivotal to the function of our
nuclear vessels: knowledge, integrity and excellence.
This has all happened to me within
the span of little over a year – imagine the possibilities during an entire
career as an officer! The Naval
Academy would grant me a
phenomenal education, a meaningful career, and a never-ending path towards
self-improvement.
Where I once was complacent, the Navy has made me proud.
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*crosses fingers for next 4 months*
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