Now that Caravan students have come back from the winter break, many seniors are continuing their college admissions processes. While most are looking to go to a standard college or university, there is a select group of students that have different plans regarding their near future.
In the class of 2025, four students are interested in either attending a United States Service Academy or joining an ROTC program at their chosen university.
While Grant Best, Zander Gorman, Marty Mann, and Leonard Siegal each have different ideas as to which academy or school they would like to attend, they all seem to have similar values, opinions, and thoughts surrounding military education and service.
Best has committed to play basketball at the United States Air Force Academy, Gorman has applied to the United States Military Academy at West Point as well as the United States Air Force Academy and the Virginia Military Institute, Mann has applied to the United States Naval Academy, and Siegal has applied to the United States Military Academy. Those who attend service academies must serve for five years after graduating; however, Best will serve four as he plans to go to the on-campus prep school this fall.
Gorman, Mann, and Siegal are also interested in the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC), a university based officer-training program for schools across the country. Those in ROTC serve for five years in their respective branch after graduating from college. The program is an excellent alternative for those who are unable to attend a service academy.
These four students have completed their application processes and are currently waiting to see whether or not they have been accepted. They have high hopes of attending some of the best universities in the nation, but just how did they come to the decision of applying in the first place? Each has taken their own path, but something that they can all say is that someone in their family has affected their application process.
“My dad served four years on the USS Chancellorsville (now known as the USS Robert Smalls) as a radar operator,” said Mann. “Every single time he brings up the military he tells me about how he loved it so much. Both of my grandpas served as well, and one of them was drafted into the army during the Vietnam War.”
Similar to Mann, Gorman also has multiple family members that have served.
“My dad was in the navy,” said Gorman. “My grandpa did three tours in Vietnam, and my great grandpa was a colonel in the air force. Service kind of runs in my family, and whenever I see somebody in a uniform or representing our country, I just have an undying respect for them.”
Not only do Mann and Gorman have family members that have been in the military, but Best’s grandpa was in the Army, and Siegal has many relatives who have served as well.
“Growing up in a household that valued military service really influenced what I wanted to do when I grew up,” said Siegal. “My parents served in the army, so whenever we would do the pledge or sing the anthem, I wanted to be as patriotic as possible. I love being American and having parents that served.”
Those who attend a service academy or are a part of an ROTC program are no strangers to strict schedules and feelings of patriotism.
In fact, that can sometimes be the very reason why they choose to attend in the first place.
“The main reason I’ve considered the academy and ROTC is because of the structure,” said Gorman. “I do really well with structure, a perfect example being our football team.”
Gorman is a captain for the back-to-back-to-back state-champion football team and is not one to back down from an athletic challenge.
Something that is required by all service academies and ROTC programs is that students be physically fit and somewhat athletically involved in their school community.
These four guys have hit that requirement perfectly on the mark.
“Playing ball at the academy didn’t even seem like an option for me that long ago,” said Best. “I thought I might end up somewhere else, but when the offer came about I was really excited about it. The team is very structured, and it’s honestly just a good opportunity to play there.”
While Best is the only one of these four students that is currently committed to an academy on an athletic scholarship, Gorman’s football and lacrosse skills, Mann’s football, and Siegal’s cross country and wrestling will definitely carry on over to whatever involvement they have at an academy or ROTC program.
All four of these student-athletes are captains or leaders on their team. They have bought into MC’s brotherhood so much to the point that the military’s camaraderie and structure looks enticing as well.
“Wrestling at MC means I have a very regimented schedule,” said Siegal. “I know what time I’m going to wake up, I know what time I have practice, and I know I’ll be home late most days. But this also means that if I hopefully go to the academy or am a part of ROTC, I know what I’ll be doing from 06:00 to 19:00.”
Discipline seems to be a huge factor and reason for all four of these students to want to be in the military. Even if Mann and Siegal aren’t accepted to either the Naval Academy or Military Academy, they know that their potential plan of joining ROTC at the University of Notre Dame will be a challenge as well. They were both accepted to ND a few weeks ago and were ecstatic at the idea of still being able to serve their country at one of the most prestigious schools in the nation.
While these four MC seniors don’t know exactly what’s in store for them this fall, they do know that serving the United States and receiving an incredible education will remain at the core of their desires for their futures.
“Knowing that there’s people out there that will do whatever it takes to defend their country, even die for it, just makes me inspired to see what the military has to offer,” said Mann. “Making our country stay safe is important to me. I know that’s what I want to do with my life.”
