PANAMA CITY — Four Bay County students will be able to “maximize” their careers with journeys set to begin this fall.
After receiving nominations from Rep. Steve Southerland, Katie Kinard of Mosley High School was accepted to the U.S. Naval Academy, Forrest Lang of Mosley High School was accepted to the U.S. Air Force Academy and Hunter Ward of Rutherford High School was accepted to the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, the U.S. Military Academy and the Air Force Academy.
Max Marosko IV, a recent transplant to Bay County whose family still has legal residency in Texas, received a nomination from Sen. John Cornyn of Texas and was accepted to the Air Force Academy.
Every year, students across the U.S. fill out applications for the country’s military academies. To be considered for acceptance, applicants must request a congressional nomination from their representative or senator. A nomination does not guarantee acceptance as the programs are highly competitive; the Air Force Academy alone estimates that it receives 12,000 applications every year but can admit fewer than 1,500.
Ward researched a few ways to become an officer, including college Reserve Officer Training Corps programs and officer training schools.
“I knew that if I wanted to maximize my opportunity in my career, the best way to begin that journey was to go to the Air Force Academy,” Ward said.
Ward’s decision to join the Air Force was influenced by his father’s service in the branch. He plans to serve “until they kick me out,” he said.
“He is a natural leader,” Rutherford principal Coy Pilson said of Ward. “If all students were like Hunter, you wouldn’t need administrators.”
Marosko said he always wanted to join the Air Force. He also was inspired by his father’s service and time at the Air Force Academy.
“What I want to do the most is become a pilot,” he said.
Lang recalled finding the year-long application process daunting but worth the work.
“I want to be an electrical engineer and the Air Force Academy has one of the best engineering programs in the country,” said Lang, who was attracted to the academy for the job security it would afford him.
Kinard, the lone Naval Academy entrant, participated in Mosley’s Marine Corps Junior ROTC and said her experiences with the organization attracted her to the Navy.
“I would like to major in political science and become an intelligence officer,” Kinard said.