Three and a half years of hard work, dedication and perseverance have started to show a pay off for six local Air Force Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (AFJROTC) cadets from here and Rocklin High School who have recently received nominations to various United States Military Service Academies.

The nominations are:

Luke Anaya (WHS) – Congressional Nomination to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point

Drew Ardissone (RHS) – Congressional Nomination to U.S. Naval Academy

Molly Miles (WHS) – Congressional Nomination to attend U.S. Air Force Academy

Carolina Morris (WHS) – Congressional Nomination to attend the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and an AFJROTC Distinguished Unit Nomination to attend the US Naval Academy

Angela Deniega (WHS) – AFJROTC Distinguished Unit Nomination to attend the U.S. Naval Academy

Cody Moffitt (WHS) – AFJROTC Distinguished Unit Nomination to attend the U.S. Naval Academy and a NROTC full scholarship

“An AFJROTC unit is very fortunate to receive one congressional nomination in a given year (a congressman/congresswoman can only give out 10 in a year covering his/her district),” Senior Aerospace Science Instructor Colonel Michael Fernandez said. “It is also extremely fortunate to receive a Distinguished Unit AFJROTC nomination to a sister service academy (i.e. Air Force to Navy); most often AFJROTC units get none to a sister academy. This year we had four congressional nominations and three AFJROTC nominations.”

A Distinguished Unit Award is presented to a Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (JROTC) unit from their respective headquarters after setting and achieving specific goals for the year. The Air Force unit here received this award for the 2011-2012 school year.

“Normally, a JROTC program can only nominate those into the same branch. If you wanted to get a nomination to West Point you’d have to be in an Army JROTC, but since our program earned Distinguished Unit, Colonel (Fernandez) was allowed to nominate into any branch with the limit of three people each,” First Lieutenant and AFJROTC nominee Angela Deniega said.

Deniega is not the only one to receive this type of nomination. Lieutenant Colonel Cody Moffitt received one to the Naval Academy, as well, but that does not guarantee an appointment to the academy.

“Getting (into an academy) is a two part process,” Moffitt said. “You need to have a nomination from some source and then you need to get an appointment given by the academy to attend.”

That source can be a congressman, senator, Medal of Honor recipient, the Vice President or the President, but even with a AFJROTC nomination, a nomination from one of those sources is required to get an appointment (acceptance) to an academy.

While many of the cadets have their sights set on the Naval Academy, Cadet Colonel Molly Miles received a nomination straight from California Congressman Tom McClintock to the Air Force Academy.

“(The application for the nomination) is basically another college application. You need test scores, essays, letters of recommendation, transcripts and the actual application,” Miles said.

Though it is similar to a normal college application to fill out, it must be started the spring of junior year and completed by the fall of senior year. After the application, those selected must then be interviewed by the source who nominated them.

“McClintock’s interview is basically where they see who you are as a person and really figure out who out of all the applicants are qualified and are likely to get an appointment to the academy,” Miles said. “In the interview, they ask you questions about your application and experiences and also about your leadership.”

Competing against students across the nation means applicants must do everything they can to prove their qualifications and potential.

“I’ve taken hard classes, done athletics and been involved in ASB to better ensure my chances of getting a nomination and appointment,” Moffitt said. “The academy looks for extremely well rounded applicants.”

Most dedicated students applying for any college or program put in extra effort throughout high school, but is it just to impress schools?

“I guess in a way (the hard work) is all for the academy, but I’ve always been one to challenge myself in school with the classes I take and I have played sports my whole life and enjoy helping the community so it all worked out for me,” Miles said.

Not only were there JROTC and congressional nominations for the unit, but there was also a Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) full scholarship awarded.

“(The scholarship is) $180,000 for tuition at any college with (a NROTC) program. I had to do a huge application and a one-on-one interview with a naval officer,” Moffitt said. “Upon completion of that, which is basically a college class sort of like JROTC, you are commissioned as an Officer in the Navy.”

Similarly with the NROTC program, graduates from any academy become officers in their military field, but that’s not always the only motivation behind attending.

“I know serving in the military is what I want to do and the (academy) provides me with the most options to do what I want but still have opportunities to experience new things. I also want to go to college and I know the academy offers a world class education,” Miles said.

All nominees will hear from the academies about whether they received an appointment around March.

See all the requirements for a nomination here.