Faith Academy senior earns Naval Academy appointment

DANIEL CLIFTON • PICAYUNE EDITOR

MARBLE FALLS — Faith Academy senior Seth McAnally took the college entrance exam, the ACT, five times.But he one-upped himself with the SAT, which he took six times. He subjected himself to the 11 tests because a Naval Academy recruiter advised McAnally that it would show determination and perseverance.

“It paid off,” the Faith Academy student said.

McAnally is the first Faith Academy student to earn a nomination to a military service academy. His first stop is a stint at the Naval Academy Preparatory School in New Port, R.I., for 11 months before attending the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md.

For McAnally, the admission letter was the answer to five years of hard work and determination. The senior didn’t just recently begin considering the Naval Academy as a post-high school option. No, it started several years ago.

“In eighth grade, he knew he wanted to go to the Naval Academy,” said Seth’s father, Jeff McAnally. “He’s so driven. And I think it shows in that he wanted this since he was in eighth grade and never gave up.”

His parents, Jeff and Tammy, didn’t just look at Seth’s Naval Academy aspirations as a lofty dream of a middle school student. They contacted U.S. Rep. Mike Conaway’s office to learn more about the appointment process.

During his freshman year, Seth and his family met with a Naval Academy recruiter, who laid out what the young man needed to do if he wanted to attend the prestigious school. It wasn’t an easy process on any level, with the recruiter stressing the importance of grades and extracurricular activities. But Seth wasn’t dissuaded at all; if anything, the meeting inspired him.

“So (trying to get in the academy) really pushed me to begin working hard and keeping my grades up,” Seth said.

But it wasn’t just class work and academics. The Naval Academy likes students who develop their leadership skills in other ways. For Seth, this included athletics and student organizations both on campus and in his church.

Seth admitted there were times he considered other colleges and universities, but each time he weighed them against the Naval Academy, the Annapolis school won out.

“It just had everything I wanted,” he said.

During the summer between his junior and senior years, Seth attended a camp for potential midshipmen at the Naval Academy. It was a crash-course introduction in what he and other prospective midshipmen could expect their freshman (or plebe) year.

The six-day program, again, didn’t phase him. When Seth returned home, he immediately began pursuing the appointment process and Naval Academy application processes. Though similar and related, Seth forded through the two.

The appointment through Conaway’s office and the application process are tough on their own. Seth’s father noted the difficulty.

“So many people start the process but rule themselves out by not finishing the appointment and application processes. There may be 20 in a (Congressional) district who actually get through just the appointment selection,” he said. “Give Seth credit for seeing it all the way through. It’s not an easy process.”

Last fall, with his nomination in hand, Seth submitted his Naval Academy application.

Then, the wait began.

On March 23, Seth was outside his home washing his car in preparation for the Faith Academy prom when the mail arrived. The postal worker was carrying a large, white envelope. He handed it to Seth’s dad.

“It was from the Naval Academy and addressed to me,” Seth said, remembering the moment. “I was so nervous. My heart immediately dropped and my stomach kind of sank.”

Seth opened the envelop and began reading the letter, “Congratulations you have …”

“My heart just leapt,” he said, regarding the acceptation letter.

In June, he reports to the preparatory academy so he can shore up on some of his academics. Then the following summer, he’ll head for Annapolis. The year of NAPS doesn’t bother the Faith senior, who is actually graduating a year early.

As much work and perseverance getting accepted took, Seth knows it’s all about to increase tenfold with NAPS and then the academy.

“I can’t wait,” he said. “I’m so excited.”

daniel@thepicayune.com