Joco Today

Salina, KS – Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. has announced the nominations of 38 Kansas high school students to the prestigious U.S. military service academies. The nominations were the result of interviews conducted by Senator Marshall's panelists, and the selected students have shown outstanding commitment to leadership, service, and duty.

"It's a privilege and an honor to nominate these young men and women to our nation's esteemed military service academies," Senator Marshall said. "As a veteran myself, I commend their willingness to serve their country, which represents the best of our next generation."

The interviews took place in November at Kansas Wesleyan University in Salina, and the students were evaluated by a panel of distinguished individuals. Among the panelists were Scott Stuckey, Civilian Aid to the Secretary of the Army; Janet Nichols, Protocol Chief of the First Infantry Division; Jeff Mitchell, Naval Academy graduate and Blue and Gold Officer at the Naval Academy; Lee Gilgour, Blue and Gold Officer at the Naval Academy; Brevin Irvin, West Point Graduate and Wichita Firefighter; and Bonnie Molz and Tyler Mason, staff for Senator Marshall.

The nominated students hail from various cities across Kansas, including Overland Park, Topeka, Olathe, Wellsville, Salina, and Lawrence, among others. They have received nominations to prestigious institutions such as West Point, the Air Force Academy, the Naval Academy, and the Merchant Marine Academy.

Among the selected students are Raj Fanaswala from Overland Park, Kaitlyn Rambo from Topeka, and Roman Feydash from Olathe, who have all received nominations to West Point. Nash McDaniel from Wellsville and Elliese Thurlby from Overland Park have been nominated to the Naval Academy. Riddick Goss from Salina, Finan McManus from Overland Park, and Sarah Yan from Overland Park have also been nominated to the Naval Academy.

Other students who have received nominations include Peyton Custer from Cheney, William Wood from Mission Hills, Cristina Pena from McPherson, Max Doerfler from Overland Park, and Jackson Tell from Lawrence, among many others.

Senator Marshall highlighted the rigorous process that these students will undergo before receiving final acceptance into the academies. "All students nominated by Senator Marshall are further vetted and reviewed by Academy staff before receiving a final determination on acceptance," the announcement stated.

For those interested in serving at a military academy, Senator Marshall encourages them to complete an online application available on his website at marshall.senate.gov.

The service academy nominations are a testament to the dedication and commitment of these Kansas high school students, who have shown their readiness to serve their country and represent the best of the next generation.

For additional details, please follow this link: https://www.marshall.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senator-roger-marshall-m-d-announces-service-academy-nominations/