As a freshman, Hanness Yeung applied for and was accepted into the Navy’s youth development program, U.S. Naval Sea Cadets.
The yearlong program is similar to Boy Scouts, and mainly focuses on seamanship among more military-like training. At the program, he learned fundamental military skills and discipline from different police and marine officers.
Fast forward a couple years, Yeung, now a senior, is now applying to the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., in hopes of one day becoming a Marine officer. The Naval Academy has a relatively low acceptance rate of 9% and prepares young men and women to become U.S. Navy and Marine Corps officers.
The U.S. Service Academies are federal academies for undergraduate education and training of federal commissioned officers for the U.S. Armed Forces and cost no money to attend.
There are five military academies: the U.S. Military Academy, the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, the U.S. Coast Air Force Academy, and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. These 4-year colleges give a Bachelor of Science degree upon graduation, regardless of the major pursued. All students must serve full-time in the military in their respective branches for five years after graduation, and then part-time for another three years.
In contrast to typical colleges, the military academies have a fitness assessment as part of the admissions process. The assessment evaluates coordination, strength, speed, agility, and endurance.
According to the official U.S. Naval Academy website, the test “consists of a one-mile run, a shuttle run, a kneeling basketball throw, abdominal crunches, push-ups and pull-ups or a flexed-arm hang for women (when pull-ups cannot be accomplished) and can be administered by a physical education teacher, a team coach, a current JROTC instructor, an active duty commissioned officer, or a Blue and Gold officer (BGO).” However, as Yeung is highly accustomed to physical activity, he didn’t find much difficulty with the assessment.
Another particular requirement that the Naval Academy requires is a nomination from an official source, which normally includes U.S. Representatives or U.S. Senators representing one’s Congressional district or State. Fortunately, Yeung was able to receive a congressional nomination from Anna Eshoo, the former U.S. representative for California’s 16th congressional district.
Building on his skills from the program, he also attended a Close Quarters Battle rifle course during the summer after his sophomore year and a marine infantry course the summer following his junior year. These classes guided him toward his goal of becoming a naval officer in the future.
“In the class, I found out I can get paid to blow stuff up once I join the military and conduct a mission everywhere: the land, sea or the air,” Yeung said.
As an athletic student who enjoys working out and biking, Yeung is interested in the rigorous balance between the physical and educational components of military academies. Unsurprisingly, the majority of midshipmen, or students in the military academy, either participated in club sports or varsity sports teams during their high school years, and some were even recruited to play for the academy as they are a NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) Division I school. Yeung noted that in addition to being athletic, many of the students are highly intelligent.
“You get humbled there [at the military academies] every day, whether that’s physically or educationally,” he said. “Noticing that talented and well-rounded students surround you inspires you and makes you want to work harder.”
As military academies also provide advanced academic courses, Yeung is interested in majoring in political science and jumping into the political field after his time in the military.
Although Yeung already had an idea of what the Naval Academy was, attending the Naval Academy’s summer seminar last June confirmed the life and career path he aimed to pursue.
“The day after I left the seminar, I started working on my Naval Academy application. I [did as much of the] application as much as possible and started working on the essays. I submitted the essay as fast as I could,” Yeung said. “This is the one place I want to be.”
After the required eight years of service post-graduation, Yeung plans to continue serving as a Marine officer. Yeung is applying to military academies, specifically aspiring to become a Marine officer as it can open him up to more branches within the Marines, such as aviation and infantry, which he is passionate about. Although being a Marine officer is a serious and often stressful commitment, Yeung welcomes these challenges, viewing them not as a daunting risk but as his natural duty.
“I want to become a Marine officer, come out, serve my country, and sacrifice myself for others. I don’t see this as that much of a risk. This is just one of the risks you take up with the job,” Yeung said. “I know there’s more honor and courage that comes with making sacrifices.”
Though he has chosen this particular career path, Yeung emphasizes that students interested in pursuing a military career must understand the risks and challenges involved.
Yeung advises thoroughly understanding what it entails to prepare for a military career. He suggests speaking with people who have military experience and joining youth programs that provide firsthand exposure. While acknowledging the risks of injury or death, Yeung emphasizes that he is willing to accept these dangers to pursue a greater purpose.
The Naval Academy decision will be released in April. If not admitted, Yeung already applied to several traditional colleges. If he is lucky enough to earn admission, he will be thrilled about his future path at the academy.
