Thoughts of a midshipman from the US Naval Academy Prep School

“Greetings and Hafa adai! It has been quite a while! I have missed the islands very much. The Naval Academy Preparatory School has been a pretty busy place: the busiest place I have ever been in. We have ended our four-week indoctrination period and am currently in the middle of the first semester of our academic year. The school so far has been very, very challenging. We have six periods a day. I take Foundation English, Intermediate Chemistry and Physics, and Advanced Math (two periods). The school here has been nothing compared to any that I have been in. Living a military life, along with building a strong academic background and physical conditioning, can be challenging, but anyone with perseverance and a strong goal can get through everything. Our schedule goes as follows: 0600 – Reveille (wake up), Breakfast, Morning Formation, 1st Period, 2nd period, 3rd Period, 4th Period, Lunch, Afternoon Formation, 5th Period, 6th Period, Extra Instruction (from instructors), Athletic Time, Dinner, Study Period, Personal Time, and finally, Taps (sleep) at 2230. We are encouraged by our officers to strive to be leaders everyday, and emphasize daily the quote by Ronald Regan: “Some people live an entire lifetime and wonder if they have ever made a difference in the world, but the Marines [a division of the Navy] don’t have that problem.

“So far, I like my school here at NAPS very much. I have friends from Hawaii and American Samoa to remind me of the islands. Though, I still wish I have had some more people from the island nearby sometimes, and I especially miss the family parties and food that we have back in Saipan.”

These are the words of midshipman candidate Jun Vicente Chong in a recent letter to CNMI Resident Rep. Pete A. Tenorio. Chong is enrolled in the U.S. Naval Academy Preparatory School located at the Naval Station Newport in historic Newport, Rhode Island. The Naval Academy Preparatory School is the Navy’s fourth oldest school; only the Naval Academy, Naval War College, and Naval Post Graduate Schools are older.

The missions of the Naval Academy Preparatory School is to prepare selected candidates morally, mentally, and physically, with emphasis on strengthening the academic foundation of individual candidates for officer accession through the U.S. Naval and Coast Guard Academies. The 10-month course of instruction at NAPS, lasting from August through May, emphasizes preparation in English Composition, Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics, and Information Technology.

Demanding military, physical and character development programs complement the academic preparation to fully prepare students for the challenges of life at a service academy. As part of the physical development program, NAPS offers a varsity athletic program that competes against other preparatory schools, junior colleges and college junior varsity teams.

“It is an honor to be accepted into NAPS, and I am very proud of Chong, he is a very bright young man, and I know he will do well in the Naval Academy. NAPS provides a strong background in science and math, subjects many of our high school students must improve on. The requirements for the Service Academies are very competitive, with some of the brightest high school students in the country applying,” said Tenorio.

The CNMI has two students at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland: Adrian Evangelista and Caroline Lynch. Evangelista will be graduating in May, and Lynch is in her first semester of her “plebe” or freshman year.

“The service academies can be intimidating for our young people, being away from home and family. I try and stay in touch with them, just so they know they are not alone,” said Tenorio.

The CNMI has openings available at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York. Students interested in applying for a nomination to either academy should contact the Office of the Resident Representative District Office on Capitol Hill at 670-664-5651.