MEDFORD, Ore. – Saturday (2/10/2024), congressman Cliff Bentz was in Medford to recognize local students on track to be in our military.
They met at the Hilton Garden Inn in Medford, where the local students were treated to a lunch for being nominated through a military service academy, which allows them to jump start their careers in the military.
These students were selected to be nominated for these institutions, like West Point in New York, due to their academic skills and dedication. A student Wren Rambo said,
“It took a lot of work to get here, a lot of time in the classroom, a lot of time in school. Just working hard trying to reach my goals and get to where I want to be.”
Another student, Mia Marinucci said,
“I have been taking a lot of classes at RCC, Rogue Community College. I’ve also been taking a lot of AP classes, working really hard to get those straight A’s, get that 4.0 GPA.”
The nominees were treated to lunch and shared their stories. Many of them said to be nominated means a lot to their future goals. A student Connor Sam said,
“A military career has always been on my plate of things I wanted to do since I was a kid. I’m so happy that I have the opportunity to have a chance to attend West Point.”
Another student, Henry Micek said,
“The academy itself kind of gives me this opportunity to both pursue a career in military and because the degree I want to go for there isn’t what I have to live off of. I can pursue a degree that’s like really interesting to me. I’m a big history guy so I’m probably going to be looking at the West Point History Department.”
Some students like Alyssa Powell, said that a career in the military comes with a lot of benefits, like paid tuition but also say they’re looking forward to the experiences they can get out of it.
“Think about what they’re going to give you in return, like how they’re going to build you up as a person, what they’re going to teach you, what you’re going to learn from this experience. You’re becoming a better person and they’re giving you that.”
The students also gave advice to other students that might be considering the academy route. Many said to work hard, do your research but also emphasize the importance of networking. A student, Christian Derek said,
“Find like a contact that you can… maybe a mutual that has experience in whatever branch of the military that you want to join and just ask them questions. I was on a phone call for like three hours at first when I was just analyzing what I wanted to do.”
When we spoke to congressman Cliff Bentz, he said that while the students haven’t been accepted yet, he’s confident that they will be a great fit at the academies.
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