Letter to Editor – Service Academy Nominations
In December, some young people received news that their Member of Congress nominated them to one or more of the US Service Academies (US Military Academy at West Point, US Naval Academy at Annapolis, US Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs, and the US Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, NY).
I wish to thank Congresswoman Kathy Castor for inviting me to serve on her Service Academy Nomination Committee. By doing so, I met two black males and one Hispanic male seeking to gain appointments to West Point. They dared ask the question, “Is my preparation in a public high school good enough for consideration to receive a $450,000 education at the US Military Academy?” Each expressed a willingness to serve our nation as a military officer. Each received a letter from Congresswoman Castor indicating that she was nominating him for an appointment to West Point. Another black male, seeking an appointment to the Air Force Academy, received a similar letter.
A week or so later, a mom sent me a copy of the letter her son received from Congressman Gus Bilirakis. The letter indicated that the young man was receiving a nomination to the US Merchant Marine Academy. Toward the end of the same day, I received another young man’s letter indicating his nomination to West Point.
These results represent something significant to me. Black and Hispanic males can succeed in gaining Congressional nominations to the Service Academies. More importantly, though, we have young men making the effort to do so! My hope is that their accomplishments spark interest by others in the possibilities that exist for them.
Finally, I was able to verify that a young lady from Middleton’s Class of 2010 also received a West Point nomination from Congressman Bilirakis. We congratulate all of the nominees and thank them for pursuing service to the nation as commissioned officers.
Danilo Del Pino, Jr. – Plant – USMA
Nicolas Rivera — Steinbrenner – USMMA
Thaddeus Baxley – Chamberlain – USAFA
Franklyn Rose – Robinson IB Program– USMA
Johnathan Blair – King – USMA
Raphael Waruinge – HCC ’10 – USMA
Kylila Bullard – Middleton ’10 – USMA
Note to self (and possibly others): 100% of the black and Hispanic public school students I know who applied for a Congressional nomination received it at the end of the first decade of the 21st century. Mercy!!!
In His Service,
Jason
Jason D. Mims
Lieutenant Colonel, US Army, Retired
3906 W. Tyson Ave. Tampa, FL 33611
CELL: (813) 787-0392
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The MIMS Institute www.mimsinstitute.com
Promoting academic excellence in key urban zip codes
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