Choosing a college is no easy decision. From having to consider the scholarship packages, to where the school is can be stressful. With May 15 coming up, the majority of the seniors who are going to college will have their decisions made and will be looking forward to the summer before their college career starts. But, for me, I won’t have a pre-college summer, I will be at my campus already.
I got accepted and will be attending the United States Coast Guard Academy(USCGA) and couldn’t be happier. Waiting six months to hear back on my decision, it was a huge burden off my shoulders when I got the call on Easter Sunday that the superintendent of the USCGA had tendered me a full appointment to the class of 2028.
At the start of your “200 week journey”, the USCGA has their future cadets, or swabs, complete Swab Summer. This seven week training period transforms cadets from civilians to members of the United States military. Six of those weeks are spent on the New London base, with the one other week spent on the USCGC Eagle.
Why go through this training just to attend a college? Well, that’s a simple answer for me: Because I want to!
We, as Americans, are lucky to live in one of, if not the most free country in the world. The U.S. protects and guarantees life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for every single citizen regardless of race, sex, gender or sexual orientation. I want, and will, be helping protect and preserve the freedom that Americans have and value. Doing and being part of something that is simply bigger than myself was a must for me to be happy in life.
Another reason I chose the Coast Guard Academy was due to the service the Coast Guard does. Compared to the other services, I felt that missions of the Coast Guard stuck with me the most. Being able to be on the front lines saving lives on the daily while also protecting our environment speaks to me. The Coast Guard missions of drug interdiction and defense readiness also keep Americans safe and helped me make the decision to attend the USCGA easy.
Lastly, the opportunities the USCGA provides are immense. From sailing on the USCGC Eagle, to working at an active Coast Guard Station are great experiences that I will never forget. The educational, athletic, and military opportunities are tremendous. They offer division three sports, which is the perfect level of college athletics for me. The USCGA also has a Marine and Environmental Science major which speaks to me and what I want to do in life.
Overall, I am beyond excited to start my “200 week journey” and the USCGA.
