Three seniors' appointments have been confirmed, one has been awarded an athletic scholarship and two more have pending appointments.
Sequoyah High School's Mason Strain, 17, son of Thomas and Heidi Strain of southeast Cherokee, and The King's Academy's Fritz Stepat, 17, son of Rick and Ellen Stepat of Towne Lake, both will attend the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, N.Y. They were nominated by U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-east Cobb).
Etowah High School's Alex Merrall, 17, son of Joseph and Julia Merrall of Towne Lake, will attend the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. He was nominated by U.S. Rep. Tom Price (R-Roswell)
Etowah High's Haley Adams, 18, daughter of John and Sherri Adams of Towne Lake, has won an athletic scholarship to attend the Naval Academy. She was recruited to play on the academy's varsity women's tennis team.
The King's Academy's Clint McMillen, 17, son of Curtis and Darcy McMillen of Woodstock, has been nominated to the U.S. Naval Academy. Covenant Christian Academy's Brooke Mazur, 17, daughter of Brendan and Kirsten Mazur of southeast Cherokee, has been nominated for the U.S. Military Academy. Both were nominated by Price and are awaiting official acceptance of the appointments.
All five service academies offer appointments to students who meet eligibility requirements and are the most competitive in academics, extracurricular activities, physical fitness, medical standards, leadership traits and motivation.
Except for the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, all service academies require a nomination from a "qualified nominating source" in addition to meeting the individual eligibility and entrance requirements for each respective academy. These sources include a member of the U.S. House or Senate or the vice president of the United States.
The academies then review the nominations and determine whether the appointments will be accepted.
Isakson issued a statement regarding his choice of Mason and Fritz, commending them for their leadership skills and character.
"Mason and Fritz have shown that they are leaders of good character who are committed to the service of our country," he said. "I am proud to have nominated these young men to the U.S. Military Academy."
Fritz said it's long been a dream of his to attend the academy and to serve in the military.
"It still hasn't hit me yet," he said.
Fritz is the battalion commander for the ROTC program at the King's Academy and is captain of the school's football team. He's also an Eagle Scout, vice president of the school's student council, a member of the Beta Club and the National Honors Society.
Fritz said the opportunity to attend a service academy is thrilling and an honor.
"It gives you experience and puts you in leadership positions," he said.
Mason, who said he was happy to receive the honor, wears many hats at Sequoyah. He's the founder of the schools Four Square Club, a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, the Beta Club, the National Honors Society, a former member of the Sierra Club and has played soccer, football and run track and cross country.
Along with attending a school with one of the country's best engineering programs, Mason said he will become "a leader among men" after graduating from the academy.
"It's cool... knowing that you have a brotherhood with every single person who's gone there," he said of West Point.
Price said he nominated Alex for his hard-working nature and athletic, extracurricular and academic performance in school.
"At a time when our military needs great leaders, Alex's intellect, athleticism, and determination will serve our nation well in the Navy," Price said in a statement.
Alex said he is honored to attend the Naval Academy.
"It's an honor to serve with the military," said Alex, who initially was nominated for both the Naval and U.S. Air Force Academies.
At Etowah, Alex is a member of the track and cross country teams, president of the Mu Alpha Theta club (a math honor society), activity chairman for the National Honor Society, a member of the Beta Club and SkillsUSA and a student ambassador.
Alex, who is planning to study aerospace engineering while at the academy, said he would eventually like to become a fighter pilot for the Navy or the Air Force.
Haley said she feels "incredibly blessed" to have won the scholarship to the Naval Academy.
While she's still undecided about her field of study, Haley said she's considering engineering or political science.
Haley said she was inspired to go into the military by her first tennis coach Bruce Swan, who is a Marine.
"I admired him for serving in our military, especially in the Vietnam War," she said.
Also, her paternal grandfather served as a radiologist in the Army during the Korean War, and her father served in the Army.
Along with being a starter on Etowah's tennis team, Haley is a member of the Beta Club.
Haley said she expects the academy will help her become a better person.
"I'm looking forward to growing as a person and developing the best leadership skills in order to be the best person I can be and serve my country to the fullest," she said.
Both Brooke and Clint said they are excited about the possibility of attending a service academy.
Clint said if he's appointed, he would like to study aerospace engineering and become a Naval aviator.
Clint, who is jointly enrolled at Kennesaw State University, at King's Academy is chief petty officer in the U.S. Naval Sea Cadets Corps, president of the academic society and a member of the National Beta Club.
An appointment would help him fulfill his dream of becoming a naval aviator.
"It boils down to an opportunity to serve my country," he said. "It's an inner calling I must answer."
Brooke said if she's appointed, she would like to study civil engineering and serve in the Army.
At Covenant Christian, which is in Forsyth County, Brooke is a rifle carrier for the Civil Air Patrol, captain of the varsity basketball and volleyball teams and a member of the student association and yearbook staff.
Brooke, who comes from an "Army family," is the daughter of an Army ranger who served during Operation Desert Storm.
"They've inspired me to continue the tradition of serving our country," she said.
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