The United States Naval Sea Cadet Corps spurred my initial interest in naval service and solidified my aspirations of serving my country. It has made me strive to succeed the best for myself, and that is why it would be in my best interest to pursue the Naval Academy. Throughout my experience in the USNSCC, I have started as a recruit and have worked my way up to Leading Petty Officer of my unit. The hard work and dedication that came with this responsibility showed me the value of leadership and what qualities I need to work on as a leader. When I went to the United States Naval Academy Summer Seminar this past summer, I witnessed the honor and integrity that each Midshipman encompassed, as they become the foundation of leadership in our country. Personally, one of the most noteworthy moments was when my squad leader had shown us pictures of him before he started his Plebe year. By that alone, everyone noticed a drastic change, in his appearance and his demeanor. This goes to show that the Naval Academy graduates leaders from all walks of life, and I would be honored to be a part of it.
I want to become a leader whose values are solely based on integrity and honesty. I believe that as a midshipman, those values have to coincide with your daily life. I realized how important my integrity was when I became a leader in Sea Cadets. There was a specific scenario where the petty officers in my unit had to monitor the cadets as they conducted their physical fitness test. Being of higher rank, the petty officers would pair up with lower ranking cadets and take advantage of their position of leadership, by influencing them to report a better score than what was done. I so happened to have been partnered with one of these petty officers, and was asked to report a false score. Because he was of higher rank, he was displeased to find out that I would not report the scores, and that I had informed our instructors of the incident. Unfortunately, this information lead to the demotion and expulsion of my friend. His actions alone have made me realize that my account with my friends does not take precedence over my morals. I truly believe that at the Naval Academy, I can expand on these values to help achieve my long range goals of becoming the best naval officer I can be.
I want to become a leader whose values are solely based on integrity and honesty. I believe that as a midshipman, those values have to coincide with your daily life. I realized how important my integrity was when I became a leader in Sea Cadets. There was a specific scenario where the petty officers in my unit had to monitor the cadets as they conducted their physical fitness test. Being of higher rank, the petty officers would pair up with lower ranking cadets and take advantage of their position of leadership, by influencing them to report a better score than what was done. I so happened to have been partnered with one of these petty officers, and was asked to report a false score. Because he was of higher rank, he was displeased to find out that I would not report the scores, and that I had informed our instructors of the incident. Unfortunately, this information lead to the demotion and expulsion of my friend. His actions alone have made me realize that my account with my friends does not take precedence over my morals. I truly believe that at the Naval Academy, I can expand on these values to help achieve my long range goals of becoming the best naval officer I can be.