Why I chose Navy? A thread:

After some recent events, the divide between non athletes and varsity athletes at the Naval Academy has come to light again. Specifically, the football team has been targeted for the perception of how we are treated at the academy.

While I do acknowledge that there may seem to be certain privileges that we receive, none of these are without justification. Beyond that point, I was extremely upset with the comments made towards my football family.

Things such as “you’re wasting somebody else’s spot” or even being call the “r word” don’t sit well in my heart. Our reasons for coming to the Naval Academy might not be the same, but at the end of the day, we both ended up here based on our own merit.

Therefore, we are apart of the same family; the brigade of midshipman. You might have come here for tradition, education or solely to serve your country and that’s great, however, that doesn’t make you any better than the midshipman next to you who needed to make a way.

The first step to coming together is acknowledging that we come from different walks of life. It's time to stop using our differences to divide us and appreciate the uniqueness that we bring to the brigade.

The various ways in which we serve our student body through sports, music, clubs, etc. enrich our experience, preparing us to be more well rounded officers in the future.

When I was in middle school, I made the conscious decision that I was going to use football as a vehicle to get me to the best school possible. I grew up in a 2 parent household in which my parents made sacrifices to ensure they were putting us in the best position to succeed.

It wasn’t easy pushing 4 kids through private school and I could see the struggle in my parents’ eyes. My dad worked the graveyard shift growing up, so I only saw him at football practice everyday until the weekends.

My mom would’ve loved to be a stay at home mother, instead she got back into the workforce to ensure our tuition could be paid. I didn’t take any of this for granted.

This motivated me to work hard in the classroom to ensure my grades were right and to work hard on the field so I could create opportunities to go to the next level.

I was fortunate enough to receive scholarship offers from some of the top institutions in the country, but ultimately I knew the Naval Academy was the best choice for my future.

I came here to show my parents that their sacrifices were not in vain. Not only that, but they will never have to worry about taking care of me again. In doing so, I get the great honor of serving this nation, receiving a top-notch education, and playing for a Top 25 D1 program.

I don’t take my admittance into the Naval Academy lightly. I know there are people out there who would love to be in my spot. It’s an honor to be in the position that I am in.

Everyday, I strive to become the best possible version of myself and be an example for those around me. If I graduate from this institution without leaving a positive impact on the lives of others, then my time was not well spent.

I’ve enjoyed my time at the Naval Academy and I love being a part of the brigade of midshipman. I look forward to serving my country and being the best officer I can be for fellow my sailors or marines.