By: Melanie Gilbert
LOWELL — Each June, U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan’s office begins the process of accepting, vetting and nominating 10 applicants each to four of the nation’s five U.S. service academies — West Point, the Naval Academy, the Air Force Academy and the Merchant Marine Academy.
Monday night, Trahan recognized the 24 nominees from her office in a ceremony held in the venerable Hall of Flags at Lowell Memorial Auditorium, celebrating what she called, “this remarkable group of young adults.”
They ranged across the 35 3rd Congressional District communities, hailing from Pepperell, Lancaster, Acton, Clinton, Fitchburg, Lunenburg, Concord, Dracut, Carlisle, Westford, Lowell and Tyngsboro.
Trahan made her remarks standing at the front of a room lined with flags depicting Veterans’ Council organizations, early American history and the state flag. She cited the hall’s significance as a place of honor dedicated to the men and women veterans of Lowell, especially those who died during time of war.
“As your representative in Congress, my role in this process — nominating the students to our world-class service institutions — is one of my greatest honors, and it’s a responsibility that everyone on the team takes very seriously.” Trahan started her congressional career serving on the Armed Services Committee.
That team included Air Force veteran and Trahan’s Director of Constituent Services Jorge Morales-Lopez, who told the crowd that a service academy education is “rooted in leadership, discipline and the skills necessary to become an officer in the armed forces.”
The application season opens on June 1 and ends Oct. 31. Students must submit three letters of recommendation, a resume of extracurricular activities, an official high school transcript, SAT and/or ACT scores and a 500-word essay on attending a service academy.
“As officers in the U.S. military, you will form the ‘tip of the spear’ in that effort,” Trahan said. “Seeing the drive that got you here, and the courage you have shown in taking this step, reassures me that America’s best days are ahead.”
A nine-member Service Academy board of past and present military, recommended the nominees on behalf of Trahan’s office. Both U.S. Army Sgt. First Class (Ret.) John Moses, of Chelmsford, and former U.S. Naval Academy graduate and Marine David Cote, attended the event representing the board.
“We don’t just look at your grades or your SAT scores,” Trahan said. “We look for students rich in character and leadership, and with unwavering enthusiasm and determination, driven by the steadfast commitment to serve our country and our common good.”
The Air Force Junior ROTC honor guard from Lowell High School opened the ceremony, presenting the flags that flanked the stage and later became a backdrop for family photos with Trahan and military leadership.
Among that group was cadet and nominee Kaiden Man, of Lowell, who attended the ceremony with his family. He said his parents “nudged” him to join the high school’s ROTC program four years’ ago. Although he did not receive an appointment to a service academy, Man said he was going to continue a military path by enlisting upon graduation in June.
Six women were among the nominees, which Trahan said reflects the commitment of the Board to nominate students representative of the 3rd District.
Sophie Russell, of Chelmsford, received nominations to West Point, the Naval Academy and the Air Force Academy. She’ll report to Naval Academy Preparatory School in Newport, Rhode Island. Service runs in her family, she said.
“My mother, my father and all of my grandparents were in the military, so I wanted to follow in their footsteps,” Russell said. “I was in the Air Force auxiliary for two years. I found out in January that I was nominated.”
Another legacy of family service was reflected in Elizabeth “Lisa” Fitzgerald’s decision to apply to and receive an appointment to the Air Force Academy.
“Both my parents went to the Air Force Academy, and served in the military,” the Concord resident said. “I found that inspiring. My three older siblings — two sisters and a brother — also went to the academy. That motivated me to pursue a life of service.”
Of the 24 nominees, eight received an appointment to a service academy, with Morales-Lopez noting that, “Receiving a nomination is in of itself an accomplishment.”
Lars Jansson, of Tyngsboro, knows both sides of the nomination process. Jansson was a nominee last year, but did not receive an appointment to a service academy. He enrolled in UMass Francis School of Engineering, and applied again this year, receiving an appointment to West Point.
“We nominate the students,” Morales-Lopez explained. “But the academy’s make the final determination on admission. He did not receive an appointment last year, but I encouraged him to come back and apply.”
After the speeches recognizing their accomplishments, Trahan, Col. Taona Enriquez and Chief Master Sgt. Alan Weary conferred the certificates upon the nominees. Afterwards, Trahan spoke again to highlight the impact the young people had on her work in Congress.
“We have a collective duty to secure our future and our children’s future by defending our values wherever they are challenged aboard or at home,” Trahan said. “As officers in the U.S. military, you will form the tip of the spear in that effort, and seeing the drive that got you here, and the courage you have shown in taking this step, reassures me that America’s best days are ahead.”
She wished the nominees the best of luck on their future endeavors, and thanked them for the honor of nominating them. “I’m so present for this moment, looking into your faces knowing that our best days are indeed ahead with you at the helm.”
The nominees who received appointments are:
West Point
• Adrien Lam – Groton, United States Military Academy Preparatory School.
• Lars Jansson – Tyngsboro, University of Massachusetts, Lowell – Francis College of
Engineering.
• Anthony Petracca – Lancaster, Trivium School.
Naval Academy
• Fiona Cullen – Andover, Austin Preparatory School.
Air Force Academy
• Zachary Aster – Fitchburg, University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
• Elizabeth Fitzgerald – Concord, Austin Preparatory School.
•Keira Lonadier – Concord, Concord-Carlisle High School.
Merchant Marine
• Robert Baum – South Hamilton, Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School.
