<p>I wanted to tell you about how my mid got his recognition at the senior award assembly today.<br>
His B & G couldn't come, so I asked a friend who was USNA '79 if he would do it.
My son thought the assistant principal was going to hand him his appointment certificate because the B&G couldn't come and she told him to bring it.
My navy friend came in dress blues and brought a giant-sized pseudo bank check that said:</p>
<hr>
<p>"US Government USNA Class of 2010
Department of the Navy
US Naval Academy</p>
<p>For: Baccalaureate Education Authorized by: George W. Bush
and Naval Leadership Training President of the United States</p>
<hr>
<p>...and it had the navy symbol printed on the check.</p>
<p>He gave a great little speech that began:"I am here on the orders of Admiral Rodney Rempt, Superintendent of the United States Naval Academy"
And he continued by telling about the rigorous application process, how many applied and were appointed and the quality of person it takes to get an appointment. It was just great. The senior class, parents and Juniors gave and ovation as my son went up to get his "check".<br>
My husband and I were really overcome.
I thought that was such a neat thing to do, so if any of you are B&G officers, you might try the huge check thing. It made a big hit. Everyone took turns posing with my son and his check! Someone brought a navy hat to put on his head, too.</p>
<p>Today was my last day of school, tomorrow is practice for Senior Award Ceremony and Senior Senoff at Adventure Island, and Friday is the Ceremony.</p>
<p>Am I nuts not to want any sort of recognition at my awards ceremony? I mean, honestly, I made a college choice no different than any of my friends. Granted, certain aspects of my intended university are different, but the point is I'm going to a college, just like the other 94 members of my class. If I'm to receive recognition, why not my friend with the 2400 and ED to an Ivy League? Or our class' valedictorian who's off to Palo Alto. I don't understand why parents and children alike deem it necessary to make a spectacle of themselves in front of the entire school. By no means do I mean to undermine the achievement of gaining acceptance to USNA, but shouldn't our own personal feeling of pride be enough? Do we all really need to be patted on the back and told how awesome we all are in front of our respective student bodies? I think not.</p>
<p>Our awards ceremony was two hours long and everyone who got any kind of scholarship was recognized. The West Point, Marine and Navy representatives just made more of a show of it because of their uniforms.
I know the academies want to be at the ceremonies because they want to spur interest and get more applicants. The Navy and Army reps were last to speak. Anyone who wanted to come in person to present an award was allowed to do so.</p>
<p>We had a similar experience. There were 170 students honored, and only two got special presentations - our son (USNA) and his classmate who is going to USMA. It was really overwhelming for us as well...especially because we had no clue it was going to happen. I was glad our BGO did it, but I wish he had contacted us (or the school had) ahead of time to let us know it was coming. We might have brought a video camera!</p>
<p>We need to advise the next year's families to be proactive on this. ..at least to check with their school to find out if they plan to do something. There is a sad story on another thread of a school that turned down a BGO's request to make a special presentation. If the parents and BGOs could advocate forcefully ahead of time, that might not happen.</p>
<p>"Do we all really need to be patted on the back and told how awesome we all are in front of our respective student bodies? I think not."</p>
<p>So you want us to pat you on your back for how humble you are? Lighten up; let people be happy for appointments! And remember, it's not the appointed student who asks the school to show recognition either.</p>
<p>I spoke with our blue and gold officer and he told me that one of the main reasons they do the presentations is as much for the PR for the academy as for the boy or girl. Especially in the smaller states, they try to get the word out about the academy so more will apply.</p>
<p>At our high school, our attitdue is: these honors and talented sports kids have busted their butts for 4 years...heck, it's high time to publically praise them in their last days of high school! Any amount of scholarship money earned, is recognized by the school and the student is publically awarded their prize...and at the end of the evening the school announces the total amount of scholarships the students from the class earned...at our school it amounts to over a million dollars each year. When a student has a Service Academy Appointment, those hundreds of thousands of dollars really drive up that total. It's a fun competition between the two sister high schools to see which senior class gets the most scholarship money. And yes, I'm boasting now, but there hasn't been a young person from our school going to any Service Academy for several years...(This is child #5 to graduate from this school and never in those previous graduations did one kid go) so I am thrilled to finally give some public acknowledgement on behalf of the United States Naval Academy that going to serve your country by attending a Military Service Academy is a BIG DEAL and a good and noble calling to do if you are one of the top students to graduate from your high school!</p>
<p>Heck yes, I want my daughter publically recognized - not for an ego trip, but to give her one lasting memory of something positive for those dreary months ahead when someone is spit-yelling in her face she is a dirty scum bag for not knowing something as important as the number of inches between Alumni Hall and Bancroft, or the like.</p>
<p>I think the idea of a high school awards ceremony is also for the parents and families - they too have put in years of toil to arrive at the moment of their young people's college selections/scholarships/awards. Moms and Dads beam all night long.</p>
<p>In the words of Tiny Tim: God bless us, one and all!</p>
<p>Couldn't agree with you more peskemom. Just surviving the appointment process let alone the neverending paper trail after acceptance is enough reason to pump these kids up. </p>
<p>Navymom2b - this IS outstanding. I guarantee that night won't be forgotten. Our award ceremony is scheduled for the 24th and Sierra's Senior Naval Science Instructor will be making the presentation. </p>
<p>Sis IS the only student at her high school to be attending ANY service academy (~500 in grad class) and only six from our state have been accepted to USNA so it IS a big deal.</p>
<p>You're right (of course) pekemom, it's for the parents too. I'm here to tell you I STILL can't believe she actually made it. The odds, no matter how sharp the kid, are daunting. Also, there is a BIG difference between going to a service academy and a "regular college/university". There's no going home for weekends, or when you get home sick, or just picking up the phone and calling when your down. It takes a certain type of person to overcome this type of psychological torture and I pray all involved survive.</p>
<p>There is another reason to be recognized. Although we live in a very liberal and sometimes anti-military part of the country, at this ceremony, the entire school spontaneously stood and cheered when my son's ALO (AF version of BGO) presented his appointment. Granted, he did an incredible job but what I saw was that many teacher's who had often tried to convince my son to go in a different direction, were clapping the loudest and cheering. Now they were thanking him for his service and I saw a patriotic moment that I hadn't seen in our area since 9-11. So, go get recognized!</p>
<p>Everyone here knows how tough the application process was and the kind of fortitude it takes from a 17 year old to hang in there. It was so nice to have an alumnus who had been through it stand up there in a uniform and tell everyone how difficult the process was and how stringent the criteria was for getting in, because that was something most people didn't really understand. For a high school kid to have the kind of drive to finish the process, it is unusual.</p>
<p>really beachmom??? Are you part of any other organization? Elks? or Scouts? or even church??? is there some other public venue your family participates in, that can give some public recognition to your kiddo???</p>
<p>Ha, speaking of church -- our senior recognition was last Sunday. The minister invited all the seniors to the front and everyone started saying where they were going...of the twelve, eleven were staying in state. I was the last one in line and when I said I was going to the Naval Academy, people started clapping...my dad joked that he didn't know if it was for me or for the entire group! </p>
<p>Senior recognitions are nice because they give some sense of finality. Once and for all, you know where everyone else is headed when minds have been changed so many times.</p>
<p>Peske-we recently switched to a different church; our old one was getting more and more impersonal. Our daughter also changed swim clubs recently, so even though they recognized the seniors at the awards banquet, she had only been there a short time and it didn't have the same meaning to her.</p>
<p>The only thing the school did was put her name on the marquis for a couple of days when she made All American. They still haven't gotten her picture up in the office with all the other All State athletes; she's been waiting on that since her freshman year! </p>
<p>Fortunately, she is a pretty humble kid, so she doesn't feel the need to be recognized. As a mom, though, I do want to go smack somebody! </p>
<p>Ah well. Good thing she didn't do this for the glory. Meanwhile, keep telling the stories of your mids' awards ceremonies. I can live vicariously through the rest of you.</p>
<p>Beachmom - that's really odd. PA has two award ceremonies - one for Freshmen-Juniors giving out book awards and All-American's etc. and then one in June exclusively for Seniors where scholarships and all the "Senior Awards" are given out.</p>
<p>I'm surprised Cox doesn't do something similar.</p>
<p>beachmom....all of us here on the CC forum KNOW your daughter is amazing and special....pm me and I'll mail her a box of my famous peskemom cookies as my congratulations. Ask Zaphod how they taste, right Z???? :-)</p>
<p>well, the ONLY person who has taken me up on this forum, WVdad is Zaphod, so I haven't exactly been swamped. Oh, and I have promised Shawna that I've adopted her as my personal Harvard-mid and SHE gets cookies whenever she wants. But that's still in the future.</p>
<p>Even fersonfire hasn't taken me up on my offer...sob...sob... :-(</p>