Isabella Madrid, News Editor
Many high school seniors planning on going to college look forward to the prospect of new freedoms like waking up late and slipping into a large lecture hall at the last minute. But for some, the next four years means early wake-up calls, scheduled group meals, and rigorous training in preparation for a future defined by discipline, leadership, and service. While some students dream of Greek life, playing frisbee on quads, and weekend parties, students like Arnav Chaudhary and Daniel Yoo are drawn to a different kind of experience, one where structure, service and the promise of a free tuition shape their futures.
Senior Arnav Chaudhary, who is committed to attending the Naval Academy, was drawn to the specific opportunities it offers. “I chose the Naval Academy because I always wanted three things. I’ve always wanted to be a pilot. I’ve always wanted to serve, and I’ve always wanted to be an engineer. There’s no place where I could do all three of those things really effectively besides the academies,” he said.
Senior Daniel Yoo, committed to attending West Point, expressed a sense of responsibility to give back to his country. “I feel like I’ve been given a lot of opportunities. I’ve been really blessed in my life, and I think that I have this positive sense of responsibility to give back to the country that’s given me so much,” he said. “I hope to gain a lot of discipline, and I want to embody the army motto of ‘be all you can be.’”
NCHS History Teacher, Michael Forcucci serving in Afghanistan.
For Arnav, his interest in service started at a young age. “I went to the Intrepid when I was three years old, and that’s kind of what started it. I also saw Top Gun, and there was sort of no going back from there. That was my Rubicon, if you wanna call it that,” he said.
He also shared how the Naval Academy aligns with his future goals. “They have good connections with NASA, Narad and NAWCAD and that’ll help me with all these goals ultimately,” said Arnav. He plans to major in aerospace engineering because it offers broader opportunities, such as test pilot school, acquisitions, and research development.
While many may be interested in the benefits of attending a U.S. military academy, the path to admission is rigorous. Arnav emphasized the effort and dedication required to complete applications. “The application process is not easy. I applied to 16 schools. I spent more time on the two Academy applications than I did on all the other 14 combined,” he said. “If your plan is just to apply to a military academy as another school on your list, I would advise that you really have to want it because the amount of effort that you have to put in is very high.”
Daniel reiterated the level of difficulty of the application process. “The application process is long, and it’s designed to be that way. It’s designed to have so many steps that it makes you question, is this something I really want? If it’s something you’re considering, there’s a lot of alumni in the area that you can reach out to. Specifically, you’ll find that there’s a great community of West Point alumni here,” he said.
Physics Teacher Paul Reid, who attended the United States Coast Guard Academy and later worked on the faculty, explained part of the review process. “At the Coast Guard Academy, there is no congressional nomination, but at the other service academies, you have to have a member of Congress recommend you to the academy,” he said. “I think the whole point of that is to limit the number of candidates that get evaluated by the academy so they don’t have to see as many applicants. Then once you pass that stage, they’ll look at your grades, rank people based on that, then look at the recommendations. So it’s in some ways very similar to other colleges, just with some extra steps.”
Arnav described how he has been preparing for life at the academy. “The mission of the academy is to develop you mentally, morally, and physically. If you’re falling behind, ask questions and advocate for yourself. Don’t be afraid to raise your hand,” he said. “You need to be smart about taking care of yourself. Getting enough sleep is often overlooked. There’s only so much you can do ahead of time. The entire academy is a training environment. You’re not thrown into the deep end right away.”
Daniel also explained how he is preparing for West Point. “I’m just staying active physically throughout high school and also taking some rigorous classes. A lot of it is mindset. Trying to stay positive and just roll with the punches,” he said.
Arnav acknowledged the competitive nature of the academy. “Everything you do is ranked. How well you walk in the hallway, how well you do on tests, how well you memorize facts. I understand why they do that, and I’m looking forward to it. But it will be an adjustment from life in high school.”
Mr. Reid reflected on his motivations for attending the Coast Guard Academy. “One was certainly financial. I was the oldest of five children. My father was a police officer, my mother a secretary, so we didn’t have a lot of money. I also didn’t want to be a small fish in a big pond; I wanted to go to a small school where I would get to know people,” he said. “The academic and athletic programs were really strong, and that was important to me, but I think what put me over the edge was that it was just a friendly place when I went to visit. People were willing to talk to me and tell me all about it.”
However, Mr. Reid noted that the welcoming attitude changed once he became a student. “Of course, that [attitude]was very different from when I did show up there as a student,” he said. “I never thought I would have stayed with the Coast Guard for as long as I did, 25 years, but the people I got to work with were wonderful; the jobs I got to do were always interesting, challenging, and really satisfying. It was a wonderful experience.”
Mr. Reid described the intense initial training experience, known as Swab Summer at the Coast Guard Academy. “It’s an eight-week process where you wake up at 5:30 am and run from place to place all day. You’re yelled at a lot. There’s a lot of physical fitness. It puts you under a lot of pressure to complete tasks, follow rules, as well as learn and memorize certain things,” he said.
Mr. Reid (left) wearing number 4 playing soccer during the athletic period of a typical day at the United States Coast Guard Academy.
During the school year, the structure becomes more like a traditional college. “I got up at 6:10 and went to breakfast. If you’re a freshman, you have morning duties such as emptying everybody’s trash, sweeping the hallway, and cleaning dress rooms. Then you go to classes. Everybody eats lunch together, then has classes again in the afternoon. At the end of the day, there’s an athletic period,” he said.
Mr. Reid emphasized that the academy’s structure is designed to develop decision making skills under pressure. “When you’re in the field in the military, you’re gonna face very difficult, life-altering situations where you have to make a decision under pressure as an officer. The academy puts you under pressure so you can learn how to filter out the unimportant things and focus on what matters,” he said.
Mr. Barnett’s formation during INDOC drill practice (short for indoctrination), which is the bootcamp training for the United States Merchant Marine Academy.
Mr. Reid also highlighted the importance of teamwork. “When you go into the Coast Guard or any military service, the team that you’re with is crucial. You have to work together as a well-oiled machine,” he said. “The academy really stresses that. It’s frowned upon to try to carry the team on your own. That’s why everyone is required to participate in two team sports throughout the year.”
Arnav encouraged those interested in the academy to reach out. “If people have questions, they can reach out to me. I’m more than willing to help them. It’s really just one big team at the end of the day, so if people are interested, just do your research, and if you really want to go for it, don’t stop,” he said.
He also emphasized alternate pathways to getting in. “If you don’t get in one year, you can keep reapplying until you’re 23. Jimmy Carter didn’t get in on his first try. He went to Georgia Tech for a year and reapplied. There’s a lot of opportunity there. If you want it, keep going and don’t give up,” said Arnav.
Reflecting on his journey, Mr. Reid advised students to embrace the challenges. “You have to have thick skin and not let the discipline get you down. The whole reason for the discipline is to prepare you for what you’re going to be doing after graduation,” he said. “I never really intended to go to a service academy. I only applied because it was a free application, and it worked out wonderfully. You never know where the detours in life are going to take you that might end up being incredibly powerful and wonderful.”
