Rep. Mike Garcia, R-Santa Clarita, has nominated 11 students from the Santa Clarita Valley for acceptance to military service academies, according to a news release from the congressman’s office. These students are among 28 from the 25th Congressional District.
Garcia, who attended the U.S. Naval Academy, said, “It is great to see so many smart, hardworking, and patriotic young Americans eager to serve their country. It is an honor now to have the privilege to nominate students to the academies.”
The 11 chosen students come from high schools across the SCV. The local nominated students include Benjamin Bartel, Armie Toe Pari, Kayla Sanchez, Benjamin Niednagel, Camden Brundage, Emily Doi, Ryan Hunt, Olivia Burk, Giorgio Simoncioni, Austin Hernandez and Thomas Wunsch.
These students are a part of an ongoing rigorous selection process before they’re selected to the prestigious academies in the spring. The academies include the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado; the U.S. Military Academy at West Point; the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland; and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, New York.
Before they’re nominated, applicants are required to submit detailed applications along with recommendations, transcripts and SAT/ACT scores. This is followed by interviews with a panel of academy graduates before the students are nominated to attend the nation’s top military academies.
