From Page 16: Cadets at West Point

to major. Buchanan has always wanted to serve in the United States armed forces and, similar to his plans for his major, he has kept his paths open; he applied to the United States Naval, Army and Coast Guard Academies. Although he has put in a lot of work himself, Buchanan gives a lot of credit to the school and those around him. “I definitely need to give credit to my friends and the school’s staff,” said Buchanan. “They all have prepared me and supported me throughout the application process, and I can’t thank them enough.

BCP has teachers that not only prepare students for college in the classroom but all throughout the school environment. Administration has also done an amazing job in helping the teachers so they are able to prepare Cadets for college. If there is a Cadet who wants to apply to a service academy next year, they should get in contact with counselors and their teachers as soon as possible.”

The process for applying to a service academy is a lengthy one, to say the least.

First, there are four requirements to begin the application process according to The White House website: the student must be an American citizen, of good moral character, unmarried with no dependents and at least 17, but no more than 23 years of age by 1 July of the year they enter an academy. “This added even more pressure to the process,” said Cibes.

“I had to start the official paperwork at the South Korean consulate in Washington DC and follow up in February. Then, I had to sign an affidavit stating that I pledged my loyalty to the United States alone, severing my loyalties to Korea. Due to my dual citizenship status, I have had to jump through more hoops than most candidates, and I’ve had to answer more questions, talk with more people and fill out more paperwork than most. Ultimately, the process was worth it to pursue this path in my life.” Possibly themost stressful part of the application process is obtaining a nomination. Candidates must earn a nomination from a senator or member of congress before they can be put up for consideration. This requires filling in an application for each nomination source and, depending on the sponsor, a meeting with that representative’s team for an interview. “Other than dealing with DoDMERB, getting a nomination was the most strenuous part of applying to the acade- mies,” said Buchanan. The process of applying and getting appointed to a service academy is lengthy, but it does not go without some benefits. Even though there is required military service, it is four years of paid education. The academies provide numerous strong, STEMrelated programs to prepare students for military service and civilian careers afterward. Other benefits are further coverage for college for the individual and children, health care, life insurance, additional postservice pay and more. It is recommended to search for any additional details regarding military benefits if one is debating whether to serve in the military or stay in the civilian life.