Good afternoon. I'm Jason Weeks, director of High Schools and I'm here on behalf of the superintendent. He sends his regrets mister Tim Rosette for not being able to be here today. First, I wanna say congratulations to the Military Academy nominees who were here to recognize today and I'm honored to introduce US Representative Matt Gates represents the first congressional district. Thank you. Is that principal shell back there? Yes, Sir. Thanks for having us back in High School glad to have him. I think the last time I was here he had some students flying drones around out in the parking lot. so maybe not the weather for that today, but there's always something very impressive going on at High School and thanks for the great contribution you guys make the community honored to be back at this time, we'd like to begin as we typically do with presentation of the colors and seeing the National anthem. so if you'll please rise. Right Forward Hold on hold Left. Face Color. Colors. Cut right Face Please join me in thanking requires Wilson. Today is my favorite day of the year. This is my favorite job as a member of the United States Congress. It is the best perk of being in Congress is the opportunity to nominate some of Northwest Florida's Best Young Americans Most patriotic Americans to have the opportunity to seek an appointment to serve in our nation's military academies. I represent the district in Congress that has more active duty military than any other district in America. It is something that I am very proud of. It's a. I feel very obligated by and it is a designation. I have no intention of losing to any other member of Congress. we wanna make sure that we keep as much mission as we can here in Northwest Florida and I had to remind a lot of folks when NHS Pensacola was the victim of the terrorist attack that the military is not just a feature of our community is the defining characteristic of Northwest Florida, and I think that's something that we all should carry with us wherever we go in life. Whatever place we we may end up living. We are always ambassadors of the community that bears our patriotism in our heart and that demonstrates patriotism and all that we do and so thank you for being a part of that tremendous northwest Florida legacy, and I know no matter where their careers lives or service take them. Those who we will nominate for military academies today will be the best ambassadors of Northwest Florida because they prepared for all of their lives today. So thank you also I wanna make. To point out the methodology that we that we've used today and what will happen today if you receive a nomination from our office know that that is not a guarantee of admission to the service academy. So if you open your hat, it says West Point or Navy on it do not call up the University of Florida or Troy or Pensacola State and say well, I'm not gone anymore. I'm definitely going to this other place because there are still a few hurdles ahead of you. There's still more work that will have to do together to ensure that those we nominate RS competitive. Can be in the process of that remains ahead. There are several students who have earned more than one nomination, and if that's the case that you will open today will not be necessarily what your first preference was. It will be the hat for the institution where our office and our team have rated you the highest. So if you are, you know if your first choice might have been the Air Force Academy. but if we had you as one of our very top people for the Naval Academy and that was higher than where you were. Elsewhere that will be reflected in the hat that you open because that's where you will have the greatest likelihood matriculating. But some of you are such great applicants. you may get offers a nomination for more than one person. Certainly we actually to today. I've transmitted to the service academies 30 - seven students for not for our congressional nominations and it's it's my expectation that in this room we have some of the very highest among those 30 - seven. We had a High School, but we really have a concentration of town here and we have some of the folks here who are the most qualified most competitive applicants that I have ever seen in my three years in the United States Congress and so it's a really talented group at a great group and it's a big deal for those of you who who have been nominated for this reason. you're the ones who didn't make the mistakes so coming to peer pressure. you're the ones who did the extra test preparation studying in school once it turned in your home. Assignments who served as examples and most importantly there is such a common theme of leadership among those of you in this class that inspires me and certainly inspires those of us in the community who had an opportunity to be a part of your process when your teammates when the folks in your JROTC program and the folks on your track and field team, ask you to serve as a captain, a President, a leader in some capacity, It shows us so much more than I ever could be conveyed in an interview or just in a non-payment version of who you are, it says. Those who are around you look to you for leadership and guidance, and they look at you as examples. Here's why that's so important. Just a few weeks ago. we sent around 600 folks from the seventh Special Forces Group into Afghanistan from Northwest Florida, 600 Northwest Florida families impacted by that deployment and they have to rely on the fact that their leaders in combat and in battle and in preparation and in logistics have the highest degree. Of confidence and integrity and dedication to the mission and if they don't know these are life and death issues. I have a number of people today I know I saw major here somewhere wearing major there. you are. There's Dan a number of folks who helped majors offer and others that the potential applicants for nominations and the direction from me was that I will not nominate anyone who we do not believe has that character and integrity and To command troops and battle that is the test that we use for these nominations so we don't nominate somebody just cuz we've got the slot to fill. We don't nominate you because you know your parents are really interested in you doing this or your principles, real interested or your teachers. We have to see that fire and passion and that love of country and the young people that we nominate and certainly I know major you would agree. it is absolutely present in the young people who we will be recognizing today. so what we'll do is I'll. Call the names of of the young Patriots who were gonna have received nominations today and then Cali will serve tell you where to stand or where to be you don't wanna open somebody else's hat and get all confused right where to stand and then when I tell you to will make the big reveal. I'll take some pictures and have some fun. That's how good alright now. I'm gonna read off our our our folks and this is just an alphabetical order. So don't think that if your last on this list, that means you're lower on the list for Academy Academy Service. Our first nominee from Pensacola High School is Brandon Anderson and feel free to make as much noise as you like. Commander Varsity Swim and dive team captain the next from North High School Keaton Brown. Wishing the rain to this class academic is captain of the cross country track and field team, and is the Navy JROTC commanding officer from Pensacola State College. We've got Dylan Dylan is also. You're online involved in four H soccer and student government, so you know Dylan. if I'm done in this Congress thing since you've got the student government deal already in your portfolio. Maybe you could be the next member of Congress for us and let me come back and go fishing. next from High School Sophie Steph. Ward and Gerald D. C. Remember the four language club at also Sophia Member of the debate team. I was also on the debate team, so I know great things in your future. That's where great minds go to the team. next is Thomas Brush from Pensacola Catholic Tom's. Addition award at the University of West Florida, and also an Eagle Scout, also with us from Milton High School. Alex Goodwin. Support is a great athlete Varsity football baseball weightlifting track also involved in a number of youth leadership organizations. Also from Pace High School Mia Goodwin Whoo. Meter, OTC Academic team leader Honor I'm sorry what the wrong way I was seeing somebody else captain the flag football team. A L school record for the javelin is that right so we should be very scared of you. You can turn anybody here into a human shish kebab distance the Japanese school next from High School Gabriel Hagan. Control later in scouts, captain of Flag Football JROTC Drill Team academic team leader of the year wishes to fly as a military officer. Did Matthew Hoffman make it alright. You got the flu today. Right? No. No. that's not you. Yeah. come on up Matthew Hoffman from Marion Military Institute. Matthew Hutton in Pensacola State College Civil Air Patrol member. Mahana Panda Booker T Washington High School vice President of. It's the first person in his family to serve as an officer in the military and last, but not the least from Milton High School, Preston Randolph. After martial artist and also Preston owns his own lawn care business, so I already got the entrepreneurial juices running great everybody grab your bags. It's the moment of the great reveal open them up. Put your hats on smile for pictures. We're so proud of all you'll do. you'll always be great ambassadors for Northwest Florida. Thank you for loving our country willing enough to be willing to stand up and serve this concludes the formal portion of our ceremony and I just look forward to hanging out and spending some time with these great young Americans. Thank you all so much for being here. Okay.