Nominating Missouri's best and brightest

I want to introduce you to the young men and women I am nominating this year to attend the U.S. Service Academies. In the coming weeks, the Academies will make their selection from this distinguished group of young, talented Missourians. These exceptional individuals stood out from their peers and proved to be among the best and brightest our country has to offer. Each has demonstrated commitment to academics, physical fitness and their communities. I am truly honored to serve as their Senator and it's a privilege to support them.

Nearly 100 high school students from around Missouri applied through my office to be nominated. Each student was asked to complete an application and send a resume, an essay discussing why they want to enter the Academy, three letters of recommendation, ACT or SAT scores, and a high school transcript. The candidates were then interviewed individually by my Academy Review Boards in Kansas City, Springfield and St. Louis. The Boards selected individuals who demonstrated strong character, scholastic achievement and exemplary leadership. The following 10 students have been nominated for acceptance into the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland: Elizabeth Byers, Fordland; Marley Cassels, Columbia; Virginia Dyer, Owensville; Robert Eddy, Liberty; Matthew Gerber, St. Louis; Patrick Heitman, Imperial; Roxanne Hudak, Jackson; Justin Langan, St. Louis; Hannah Lewis, Cape Girardeau; Mark Mueller, Wildwood.

The following 10 students were chosen for the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado: Jonathon Benson, Webb City; John Andrew Bonner, Crystal City; Daniel Emery, Lamar; Connor Flynt, Platte City; David Hickle, Rolla; Victor Hurlburt, Kansas City; Anthony Lannigan, Arnold; Matthew Ludwig, Florissant; Jamie McDowall, La Plata; Jonathon Newbold, St. Louis.

The Board nominated the following ten students to the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York: Khristopher Dunard, O'Fallon; Therese Fox, St. Louis; Michael McGee, Chesterfield; Samuel Panke, St. Louis; Phillip Scott, Eureka Harrison Smith, Pleasant Hill; Lisa Taylor, Lee's Summit; Lisa Thomure, St. Louis; Rachel Walker, Kirksville; Dexter Wise, Parkville.

Ten students have been submitted for acceptance into the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, New York: Adam Atwood, Florissant; Kirk Chitwood, Manchester; Justin Devillar, Ballwin; Kingsley Ehie, Springfield; Christopher Hartman, St. Peters; Daniel Hartman, St. Peters; Zachary Reznak, Raytown; Nicholas Ruemker, St. Louis; Stephanie Scott, Ballwin; Adam Smith, Mansfield.

Now that my office has submitted the nominees, each of the Academies will choose students from their respective lists.

It is an honor for these students to have made it to this final stage of the admissions process and I wish them all the best in the final selection process.

Students who are interested in applying to the Academies may visit Talent's Web site at http://talent.senate.gov to download and print the information packet to see if you qualify, or contact Talent's Cape Girardeau Office at (573) 651-0964 to request that an application be mailed to you. The deadline for fall 2006 admissions is October 2006.