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Two local students' next step: Annapolis, U.S. Naval Academy

Higher education — A Veritas senior student is accepted outright, while an NHS senior accepted to prep course and wait-listed for academy

By: Laurent Bonczijk (The Newberg Graphic)
Published: 5/17/2011 - Newberg Graphic.com

Two Newberg seniors have been admitted to one of the nation's most prestigious institutions of higher learning and public service, the U.S. Naval Academy.

Oliver Abraira of Veritas School was admitted outright and will be a freshman this fall. Samantha Irsik of Newberg High School was admitted into the Naval Academy Preparatory School and should be a freshman in fall 2012.
"Frankly, I kind of applied on a lark because I didn't expect to get in," said Abraira, who found his admission to be "really actually pretty surprising."

"I've always planned to go into the military," he said, but "the academy is primarily an engineering school and I'm not looking to be an engineer."He'd applied to Hillsdale College and Wheaton College, both of which he was accepted at, and was eying economic programs. He wasn't interested by ROTC programs because that would limit the schools he could have attended.
Abraira said he doesn't fret about not having chosen a major yet as both of his siblings went to college thinking they would be music majors; one graduated with a theology degree and the other earned a communications degree.

While a good education is a prerequisite to enter the academy, the institution seeks well-rounded individuals to mold into future officers and Abraira fits the bill as he is a thespian and has competed for NHS on the boy's rugby team.

Irsik applied mostly to small private colleges in the northwest, but "mostly those schools were all kind of backup if the Naval Academy didn't work out." Visiting the school last year and attending the annual rivalry football game with Army made up her mind about Navy being her preferred school.

"I'm very serious about things," she said, adding that she believes the Navy will help push her to greater levels of achievement that if she attended another school, "I know they're going to push me all the time, everyday."

She also has not chosen a major yet, although she visited the school's oceanography department and was impressed by the lab. A runner, she competes in the 100, 200, 4 x 100 relay team and long jump she intends to run track at the academy.

Irsik expects to seek a commission in the Navy, while Abraira wants to become a Marine Officer, preferably in the infantry.