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Ensign David
Yoon My
name is David Yoon and I am a graduate of the United States
Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. I’m originally from Bakersfield.
My parents lived on the Northeast side of town. I attended
Bakersfield City School District schools including Eissler Elementary,
Owens Elementary, and Chipman Junior High.
I graduated from Highland High School in 1999. In
high school, I prepared for a college education as many of you are doing
right now. I worked to keep
my grades up, maintaining a 3.9 through my four years at Highland.
I swam there as well, competing at the Valley level and
captaining the team my senior year. I was a member of Interact, went to Boys’ State my junior
year, and was active in many other extra-curricular activities.
These are all primary requisites for any college applicant, but
all of the above are especially important when applying to any of the
service academies. Intelligence,
team-working skills, work ethic and diligence, all are valued
characteristics. To become
competitive for scholarships or acceptance to any renowned institution
of higher education, it’s necessary to cultivate all of these aspects
of a rounded high school student. As
for my student career at the Naval Academy, I will say that college is
very demanding. Academics
are highly valued there, and the Academy does everything possible to
help you succeed in this field. You
also have the military aspect to deal with.
This obviously introduces another level of stress to your daily
life, having to deal with formation, military obligations, and the like.
However, the opportunities presented to you at this or any of the
other academies makes it worthwhile.
This past summer I was able to spend a month in Hawaii for my
summer tour, intermittently riding passenger on a nuclear submarine and
soaking up the sun in Waikiki. The
summer previous I got to see the eastern seaboard for the first time in
my life, making port stops in cities such as New York, Boston, and
Newport. The recognition
that you get when in uniform is amazing; people will just walk up to you
and offer to take you to dinner for no other reason.
It can really be a great time. In
addition to my experiences while at the Academy, graduates from these
military institutions have many opportunities both in the military and
civilian communities. Following
graduation, I have the choice of going to flight school, training to
serve in the submarine fleet, or even heading off to graduate school,
all courtesy of the government. The
colleges themselves have an outstanding reputation for developing
leadership skills in their graduates, and these men and women are all
highly sought after in civilian businesses.
A perfect example of this is Ross Perot, a graduate of Annapolis
who went on to become the successful businessman he is today. I urge you all to extend yourself in high school and beyond, enjoy the time you have but also think of where you might be in several years. The service academies are a tremendous opportunity for any college applicant, should they be so inclined towards military service. I definitely recommend starting your preparation/application as early as possible. The more time you allow yourself for these types of things the better off you are, be it to an academy or other college. |
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