Congressman Brady hosts send-off breakfast for nine military academy appointees

THE WOODLANDS, Texas - U.S. Congressman and District 8 of Texas Representative Kevin Brady hosted an Academy send-off breakfast the morning of June 13 at the Black Walnut Cafe in The Woodlands, honoring those students who will be dedicating their college years to one of the highly prestigious military academies in the United States.

Out of approximately 300 applicants reviewed by the selection committee in District 8, a total of 9 students were appointed for admission. They are as follows: Luke Easton (Oak Ridge High School, Air Force Academy), Tyler Mortensen (The Woodlands College Park High School, Air Force Academy), Collin Page (Klein Collins High School, Air Force Academy), Maxwell Page (Montgomery High School, Air Force Academy), Tyler Rapp (The Woodlands High School, Air Force Academy), Daniel Carroll (Magnolia West High School, Naval Academy), Aaron Cheng (The Woodlands College Park High School, West Point Academy), Nicola Newton (Conroe High School, West Point Academy), and Corey Sanders (The Woodlands High School, West Point Academy).

According to an official press release from Brady’s team, “each member of Congress is guaranteed one appointment to each go the four service academies: Air Force, West Point, Naval, and Merchant Marine.” District 8 of Texas is recognized for appointing students of excellence who generate success, and for that reason, Brady’s office averages an appointment of 10 students. Before the service academies worked to create smaller class sizes, the office was prosperously appointing as many as 17 students a year.

“This is one of the most important things I do each year, and for our nominating board, I think one of the most inspiring things we do each year, is identify our future leaders in our country,” Brady said with regards to the appointed students. “The caliber of young people in this room and their willingness to serve, should reassure us all of the future of the nation, as it really is in good hands.”

Congressman Brady, newly appointed service academy members and their families, past academy graduates, and current members of the military, were all gathered in a secluded room at the Black Walnut Cafe in celebration of these young men and women. Old football rivalries and jokes of age were mixed in with oxygen in the room, allowing reassurance and excitement to enter the bodies and minds of those nervous souls, parents and children alike, awaiting their not-so-far away future.

Three service academy graduates spoke at the honorary breakfast, offering advice and telling stories of their experiences. Colonel Jim Raney, a West Point class of ’75 graduate, Tim Hertel, a Naval Academy class of ’01 graduate, and Justin Johnson, an Air Force class of ’00 graduate, all stood at the podium explaining the importance of perseverance to the new appointees. Nearly all speakers shared stories of failure and near ending of their careers while in college. A common string of advice to the new students? You will want to drop out, you will seriously consider dropping out, but you must persevere and ignore the seemingly endless berating of comments. Calvin Coolidge’s poem “Press On,” according to Lt. Col. Champe Miller, serves as the most vital pieces of advice to the appointees; in fact, it is a required reading that one must have memorized by heart at West Point.

Nothing In The World Can

Take The Place of Persistence.

Talent Will Not;

Nothing is More Common Than

Unsuccessful Men With Talent.

Genius Will Not; Unrewarded

Genius Is Almost A Proverb.

Education Alone Will Not;

The World Is Full Of

Educated Derelicts. Persistence

And Determination Alone

Are Omnipotent

~ “Press On,” Calvin Coolidge

Lt. Col. Miller argues that the first two lines of the poem are perhaps the most influential. “Determination. If you want to make it, you can make it. Now I want to tell you something; did I think about quitting while I was going through it? You bet. Every single day. Sometimes, it would be, ‘If I could just make it through lunch…’ So you get through lunch, and you think, ‘well, maybe if I could just make it through supper.’ Everybody thinks about that. My junior year, I almost quit, and then I got stubborn again and decided ‘nope, I am going to go all the way through it.’”

Miller has decided that the most influential lesson during his time at West Point provided him with is prioritization and “enjoying the bond you have between people.”

“I was not an easy commander. I was an extremely strict commander, and hard. But I’ll tell you what: seeing those young men and women progress, and seeing their goals and knowing that you are apart of that journey, to me is absolute satisfaction,” he said.

Royce Engler, a Naval Academy class of ’73 graduate, spent eight years as an active member of the military post-graduation, and 22 years in the reserves. In 2003, he retired from the Navy with the rank of Captain. His advice to the new appointees is, “the only way out is through. You just have to keep putting one foot in front of the other, and don’t take it personally. You are going to get yelled at, you are going to get screamed at, you are going to have to do push-ups, you are going to run. At the end of the day, you get up in the morning and you do it all again, and after four years, suddenly you graduate. It is a great place to be from,” Engler said.

For Corey Sanders, a recent graduate of The Woodlands High School who will be attending The United States Military Academy at West Point and will be a member of the Army football team, choosing to dedicate his life to the military was an obvious decision. Sanders hope to serve in the 75th Ranger Regiment, a division of the Infantry.

Sanders’ grandfather and great-grandfather were both members of the military; his grandfather was in the Marines, and great-grandfather was in the Navy. He claims this had an impactful influence in his decision to take the path he has chosen to follow.

“Both their times in the service had a big influence in what I was wanting to do with my life and figuring that out, and seeing that sacrifices they made really inspired me and my choice to want to serve my country,” Sanders said.

Nicola Newton, a Conroe High School graduate who will be attending The United States Military Academy at West Point as well, has a different story.

Newton, who will be the first generation in her family to be a member of the military, “felt a call to serve our country.”

“I felt like that is really where I was supposed to be, and that was the path for my life, so I am really feeling good about that. I just always felt inspired by my peers, and it was always really heavy on my heart to do that [serve the US],” Newton said.

For the parents of these young adults, there is nothing but pride (and some worry). Shelly Page, mother of Collin Page (Klein Collins high School, Air Force Academy), and Mary Easton, mother of Luke Easton (Oak Ridge High School, Air Force Academy), are excited for their sons’ futures.

“He amazes me. I think he is my inspiration,” Mary Easton said. “He loves his country, and I love that about him.”

“His father and myself were both prior Air Force, so we spent 20 years in the military and we know it is going to be a great experience. I’m confident that he is going to enjoy it and that he will do well. I am excited for him,” said Shelly Page.

Somewhere between the nerves and worry, the excitement and pride, the bravery and determination, there are those who are ready to make honorable sacrifices for their friends, their family, their neighbors, and many of their fellow citizens whose name or face they do not even know. It is for this reason Congressman Brady wanted to show his respect and admiration for these amazing young adults. To commit your life to the military at such a young age is a truly astonishing statement, and only begins to speak wonders about the character of each individual. Best of luck to the new appointees in their upcoming adventures and endeavors, and thank you in advance for your sacrifices.