U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono has nominated 29 students from Hawaii for consideration to attend U.S. military service academies as part of the Class of 2030. The announcement, made in Washington, DC, details the process by which members of Congress submit nominations for candidates from their states to four service academies: the U.S. Air Force Academy, the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, the U.S. Naval Academy, and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.
“Each year, Hawaii students from all walks of life apply to our military service academies with aspirations of serving our country,” said Senator Hirono. “I’m impressed by the strong applications we received from young people across our state, and I’m proud to nominate this cohort of students to attend our nation’s military academies and to represent our state.”
Nominees are selected based on a range of criteria including academic performance, leadership experience, participation in school activities and athletics, community involvement, volunteer work or employment history. While nomination is an important step in the application process, it does not guarantee admission; final selections are made by each academy’s director of admissions.
The Coast Guard Academy conducts its own separate admissions process and is not included in congressional nominations.
Among those nominated are students representing a variety of high schools across Hawaii. Some nominees were put forward for more than one academy.
The full list includes nominees such as Luke Barner (Radford High School), Elizabeth Gillaspie (Maryknoll School), William Kayes (Seabury Hall – Maui), Malakai Keawe-Correa (Hilo High School), Joseph Lapinad (Punahou School), Clarence Loomis (Kalaheo High School), Liam Martin (Punahou School), Lyla Matthews (Radford High School), Malia McCoy (Punahou School), Charlotte Nakagawa (Kamehameha Schools – Kapalama) among others for the U.S. Naval Academy; as well as additional names for each respective academy.
Members of Congress play a role in nominating qualified applicants each year as part of a longstanding tradition intended to ensure broad representation within these institutions.
