Congressman Alan Lowenthal recently announced that five of his Congressional nominees to the nation’s service academies for the Class of 2019 have successfully received appointments.
“Each year, it is a distinct honor to nominate some of the best and brightest of the 47th District to the finest service academies in the world. I am tremendously proud of each of them. They are the leaders of tomorrow and they fill me with confidence and hope that the security of our nation is in good hands,” Lowenthal said.
The five appointees from the 47th District are:
- Ryan J. Dorris from Long Beach; attends Lakewood High School; appointment to United States Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs, CO.
- Lucas W. Echeverry from Lakewood; attends Lakewood High School; appointment to United States Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs, CO.
- Timothy R. Getscher from Garden Grove; attends Servite High School; appointment to United States Naval Academy at Annapolis
- Analise Howard from Westminster; attends River Springs Charter; appointment to United States Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs, CO
- Robert A. Niscior from Cypress; attends Oxford Academy; appointment to United States Military Academy at West Point
Entrance to four of the five U.S. service academies–West Point (Army), Annapolis (Navy), Colorado Springs (Air Force), and Kings Point (Merchant Marine)–requires nomination by a member of Congress or the vice-president. The United States Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut, does not require a nomination.
Final decisions are made by the individual academies as they consider each of these talented and dedicated nominees from the 47th District for admission.
The selection process is highly competitive and each service academy looks for candidates of high scholarship with strong backgrounds in math and science, leadership potential, and physical aptitude. Medical fitness and the motivation for a military career following graduation are also important factors. The law requires that candidates for service academies be at least 17 years old and not have passed their 22nd birthday. Candidates must also be U.S. citizens, unmarried and not have any dependents.
Earlier this year, the congressman and his Service Academy Nomination Panel – composed of military veterans and academy graduates – reviewed almost two dozen service academy nomination requests his office had received for the Class of 2019.
“I want to offer my heartfelt thanks to Army Corps of Engineers Brigadier General Mark Toy and the rest of the members of my panel for their hard work on the review process,” Congressman Lowenthal said.
Nomination applications for the Class of 2020 will begin being accepted through Congressman Lowenthal’s office in June, 2015.