Six months from now, senior Morgan Tannery will join the line of nervous Plebes under the heat of the Annapolis sun, readying himself to be sworn into the Unites States Naval Academy. 

For now, though, he’s just a civilian like you and me, walking the Kinkaid hallways, internalizing the recent acceptance that will take him there. 

Tannery was in the middle of taking notes in class one day when he saw an email notification from the USNA at the top of his iPad screen. 

“We were taking notes about some really complex topic so I had to stay focused, but I was extremely excited for the news,” Tannery said. “I went outside into the Central Park and called my parents like 50 times until they picked up, and they were even more excited than me.” 

Service in the Armed Forces is deeply rooted in Tannery’s upbringing, and has continued to shape him throughout his teen years. His father spent seven years as a Search and Rescue swimmer, and his mother served nine years as a Supply Corps Officer, making his calling to the Navy a natural next chapter.

“It is really a testament to their hard work — they deserve every single part of recognition for it,” Tannery acknowledged, highlighting his parents’ role in his success. “They raised me into the man I am today: from working out at the CrossFit Gym to helping me with my times tables as a kid, and to every single drive to practice and school, it was all them. I can’t thank them enough.”

He has drawn inspiration from his parents and others. Besides aspiring to follow in the footsteps of 2014 Kinkaid graduate and Navy SEAL Lieutenant Casey Cowan, he is also a patchwork of his grandfathers, godfathers, and many of his father’s closest friends who he refers to as his “uncles” — each of them having put their own lives on hold to serve the country at some point.  

“I see them hug when they see each other, and they instantly reconnect after years apart,” Tannery explained. “Service is the connection that binds them, service toward each other, service toward the greater good, and service toward the American people who cannot stand up for themselves.”

Despite its academic prestige and exceptionally high standards, the USNA’s application process looks surprisingly similar to many other universities. Applicants must submit their transcripts, test scores, extracurricular activities, and essays, yet one thing in particular stands out. 

“You need to have a nomination letter in order to not only have the chance to apply to Annapolis, but also to be accepted or receive an Appointment,” Tannery disclosed. “These nomination sources can include your congressman or congresswoman, senators, vice president, or president.”

Applicants must also complete the Candidate Fitness Assessment — an extensive fitness examination with six categories. Applicants must reach a given threshold in Basketball Throw, Pull-Ups, Shuttle Run, Crunches, Push-Ups, and a mile run. 

According to USNA’s Admissions page online, “When administered together as a single battery, these six events will help the Admissions Board determine if a candidate possesses the stamina and movement skills required to successfully complete the physical program and perform the duties required of commissioned officers in the uniformed services.” 

However intimidating this may seem, Tannery has remained grounded in his conviction — which circles back to the genuine gratitude he feels toward his family and the nation. When he talked about why he chose this path, he poignantly recalled one particular moment.   

“I was actually born 10 weeks early while my father was serving in Afghanistan,” he said. “It was just my mother and me, and when I was born alone with her, my birth was actually able to pull my father back home to be able to spend time with me. How special is it to live in a country where that is possible? Where I have a strong mother able to hold down the fort while my father is away serving our country, and for them to come back and raise me into the man I am.”

While this predates his teenage memories, it has defined his path forward, instilling in him a sense of responsibility that is bigger than himself and contributing to his understanding of what service means beyond the uniform. 

“I have an opportunity to protect the defenseless and that there is something worth standing up for,” Tannery said. “That is what I am fighting for, to make the world a better place, and to make a difference for the people who can’t yet fight for themselves.”