U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly Thursday announced his 2017 nominations for admittance to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, NY; the U.S. Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs, CO; the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, MD; and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, NY. Donnelly was honored to nominate 34 students this year.
In Marshall County Donnelly nominated Victoria Styers and Jakob Young both of Plymouth. They attend the Culver Academies and were nominated for the U.S. Military Academy. Sierra Salerni of Culver was nominated to the Naval Academy and Colton Schuler of Plymouth was nominated to the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.
Donnelly said, “Each year, it is an honor to nominate young Hoosier men and women to our nation’s service academies. I am very proud of their dedication and commitment to serving our country, and if accepted, I know they will receive a quality education and be prepared for successful careers in our military. I want to thank everyone who applied for their desire to serve and protect our nation.”
The individuals chosen were evaluated using a competitive system recommended by the academies. The selection process includes a personal interview by Donnelly’s Service Academy Nominations Committee and a thorough review of the applicant’s essays, academic records, letters of recommendation, community involvement, character, and leadership experience. Donnelly received a total of 107 nomination requests this year.
A congressional nomination is not a guarantee of admission. The final admission decision will be made by each individual academy following a “whole-person” evaluation that considers a candidate’s character, scholarship, leadership, physical aptitude, medical fitness, goals, and motivation.
High school students interested in applying next year or in the years ahead for a service academy nomination can visit Donnelly’s website (www.donnelly.senate.gov) for more information.
The nominees, along with their hometowns, are listed below:
U.S. Military Academy
Nathan Batta, Batesville
Liam Jagow, Westfield
Brad Laughlin, Yorktown
Richard Liu, Columbus
Carson Smith, Lafayette
Corbin Smith, Bargersville
Benjamin Snyder, Carmel
Victoria Styers, Plymouth
Michael Wang, Carmel
Jakob Young, Plymouth
U.S. Air Force Academy
Olivia Benz, Carmel
Joseph Haines, Indianapolis
Morgan Hicks, Muncie
Kevin Johnsen, Summitville
Mitchell Lipe, Carmel
Matthew Mark, Indianapolis
Katie Murphy, Marion
Jackson Swain, Columbus
Matthew White, Greenwood
Landon Zachary, Anderson
U.S. Naval Academy
Parker Bull, Huntertown
Elizabeth Downing, West Lafayette
Kenneth Klimek, South Bend
Joseph Lecher, Carmel
Brian Lenyo, South Bend
Claire Martinez, Lowell
Logan McGuire, Granger
Chloe Owen, Indianapolis
Sierra Salerni, Culver
Daniel Yu, Granger
U.S. Merchant Marine Academy
Judson Andonov, Munster
Baker Howard, Greensburg
Colton Schuler, Plymouth
Jacob Schuller, Kirklin
