River View grad talks about time at U.S. Naval Academy
WARSAW – Tyler Sposato spent part of his Christmas vacation trying to excite River View High School students about attending the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md.
“As far as I know I’m the only graduate from River View to go to the Naval Academy and I wanted to come back here to spread the word about it and hopeful get others interested in going there as well,” he said.
Sposato is a 2010 graduate of River View and is now a midshipman at the Academy. He spoke about his experiences there Jan. 2, to students in Molly Bordenkircher’s classes.
“It’s a four year college just like The Ohio State University or Muskingum University, but I will earn a Bachelor of Arts in Science and be an officer in the U.S. Navy or Marine Corps.”
Sposato explained to the student that the Academy has its own barbershop, store, post office and medical and athletic facilities. He also shared that there are 22 majors to choose from that fall under three different divisions: Engineering and weapons, humanities and social sciences, or mathematics and science. Internships also are available at locations such as the Pentagon, Antarctica and various embassies.
“The classes continue to build on each other and by the time you are a sophomore you start getting into whatever your designated major is,” Sposato said.
In addition to class time, a day at the academy also includes time for physical fitness, participating in extracurricular activities that range from sports to music to community service groups and studying.
“That study time is usually not enough time to get everything done, but if you use your time wisely and stay diligent you will get there,” Sposato said.
Attendees of the Academy also receive a stipend.
“You’re an employee of the United States Navy plus your room, board, medical and dental are paid for and as a midshipman you get a stipend of around $990 a month,” Sposato said.
After graduation, Sposato also has a five year commitment to the military.
“You are tied up for nine years of your life, but it’s worth it,” he said. “You get to travel around the world and see a lot of cool things.”
For more on the U.S. Naval Academy, visit www.usna.edu.
josie@coshoctoncountybeacon.com
Category: Education
