I always knew that the Coast Guard Academy was the best place to pursue my dream of becoming a Coast Guard officer. So, to prepare myself for reapplication to the class of 2025, I enrolled at another maritime university.

The biggest adjustment going from another university to the Academy was the process of repeating freshman year. Once arriving at CGA, I was initially worried that I would be significantly older than the rest of my classmates and worried if the extra year of college I had attended would isolate me from much of the class who had arrived fresh from high school graduation. This, however, could not have been further from the truth. Additionally, my year of college helped me with time management and adjusting to a dual semester and credit-based academic schedule.

I majored in Marine Science, Safety, and Environmental Protection at my previous college. Upon transferring to the Academy, I chose Marine and Environmental Sciences as my major. This allowed me to explore my passion for learning about our environment and the impact that we have on it. The ability to find something new that interests you, as well as the incredibly devoted and well-educated faculty are a few reasons why I believe Marine and Environmental Sciences is one of the best- and most applicable- majors here at the Academy.