Central Catholic senior earns appointment to Naval Academy |
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Sunday, 01 March 2009 01:00 |
TOLEDO—Toledo Central Catholic High School senior Steven Billmaier recently received an appointment to the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. He is to be sworn in July 1 as a member of the class of 2013.
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| Steven Billmaier (Photo courtesy of Toledo Central Catholic High School) |
In exchange for full tuition, room and board and medical and dental coverage worth approximately $300,000, Steve will make a mandatory five-year commitment after graduation to be a commissioned officer in the U.S. Navy or the Marine Corps.
“From a very young age, the idea of serving my country has been very important to me,” Steven says. “This will benefit me, and I can also give back to the people who have served before me so that I can have the rights that I do. It’s been a goal of mine for a long time.”
Last summer, Steven attended the Naval Academy’s summer seminar, an optional program designed for students entering their senior year of high school to see what life at the academy is like. The seminar included sample classes, early wake-up calls, physical conditioning, marching and drill, fire drills with replica M-16s and ship navigation.
“A lot of the things we did that week were very difficult, but it was really gratifying to be able to cooperate with the other students who were there from all over the United States,” Steven says. “We were able to accomplish the tasks they gave us by working together.”
Steven is to start out at the academy taking core curriculum classes such as science and engineering before declaring a major. He is currently interested in electrical engineering and political science.
Along with the regular academic classes and physical conditioning throughout the year, Steven is to spend summers being introduced to surface ships, submarines and life in the Marine Corps.
“It’s a lot different than a civilian college, so it’s a big consideration, especially with the five-year commitment after and the military life every day,” says Steven. “But I think it’s right for me because it really emphasizes leadership and character. It is really hard, but you have to work hard to get somewhere. I like the hard work because of the achievement I get from it.”
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Last Updated on Wednesday, 06 May 2009 09:08 |
