Profiles

Setting Sail Profiles 5 MARIA NGUYEN “I heard that they really look at the essays,” Perico said. “So I STAFF WRITER worked on that essay for a long

After graduation, senior Sarah Perico time. I had a couple of different will not be retiring her school uniform teachers and my dad help me like the rest of her classmates. out with it.” Instead, she’ll trade it in for another kind of Following the essay, uniform: a U.S. Navy uniform. Perico completed a regular

“It was the middle of junior year, and application about citizenship I figured out that I wanted to go to the and general information, military,” Perico said. “I decided to go to a filled out information for college fair at Rockhurst. I saw the Naval sports and gathered teacher Academy front and center and went to talk recommendation and approval. to them. It was just a great experience.” Then began the wait.

From there, Perico started the year-long “After the fall interviews, process of being admitted to the Naval there’s basically a dead period,” Academy. As drawn out as it was, Perico Perico said. “Then, on Christmas was nothing less than determined to excel Eve, I got a letter of assurance, throughout the year. which is basically a guarantee

“First, you have to do a pre-application that I’m doing track for the Naval with basic information. Then you have to Academy.” wait a couple months until they approve With the lengthy application you to be a candidate,” Perico said. “After process complete, Perico will do that, you have to get a congressional a number of years of service at nomination from either your two senators the Naval Academy in Annapolis, or your house. And I was able to get Maryland. The work doesn’t Senator Moran to nominate me, which was end there, but Perico is looking awesome.” forward to what she’ll do next.

Perico continued to be on a roll after “I’m not sure about what I getting her congressional nomination, and want to do. But I’ve been looking as the year went by, her dedication was at a Surface Warfare Officer | MARIA NGUYEN tested in a variety of ways. “Usually in the fall, you have to do a lot of scheduled interviews,” Perico said. “You also have to work on your essay and transcripts and your regular application.” Apart from the numerous applications and interviews, the physical test, which included a mile run and ball throw, and the one-page essay both stood out as formidable challenges in the process. role,” Perico said. “Once you graduate from the Naval Academy, you’re commissioned as an officer into the actual Navy and commissioned to a ship. And then, if you’re on it, the ship goes around the world.” Because she loves traveling, Perico is excited about the places she’ll go. However, the people who have supported and inspired her throughout the complicated process still hold a special place for her. “My parents told me that they were not going to remind me of any deadlines. They said that it was my thing, and if I really wanted to do it, then I would have to work for it,” Perico said. “But my family and friends have supported me since the beginning. I did everything myself, but they were always there, cheering me on.” As Seen On TV

EMMA LAZARCZYK

STAFF WRITER

Many aspire to be a profiler from the hit show “Criminal Minds.” For senior Joe Pautler, he is making that his reality.

Pautler is attending University of MissouriKansas City in the fall of 2022 where he will major in criminology, following in the footsteps of his favorite TV characters.

“My plan right now is to go join the FBI after college,” Pautler said. “It’s a bit embarrassing, but I binge watched ‘Criminal Minds,’ and I was just like, ‘Yeah I know this isn’t realistic, but if it’s anything like this — I’m in.”

Seniors have often spent much of their high school years contemplating their college major; however, according to Pautler, he chose his major only a few months ago.

“It’s April now, so it’s been about six months,” Pautler said.

According to Pautler, he was spontaneous in choosing his major and has not done any research.

“I don’t really know all that much about what a criminology major is going to entail,” Pautler said. “I have a feeling we are going to be doing a lot of case studies about famous criminals, so I think that will be interesting.”