Last spring, Brianna Monahan, Class of 2024, was accepted into the Naval Academy’s Summer Seminar where she participated in various activities and experienced what it’s like to be a Naval Academy student.
They were woken every day at 5:30 a.m. to participate in Physical Training, and they ate in the hall in a “family style” for every meal and participated in many old Naval Academy traditions. Every day was a new activity, whether it was learning marching drills or attending classes where she worked and experimented in a lab and learned about the many different majors the Naval Academy has to offer.
During their Sea Trials, they spent all day completing physical activities, including rowing, pull-up competitions, and a simulation of Navy Seal training where they went into the water fully clothed and did group workouts on the beach. They stayed in the typical dorms of a Naval Academy student and were expected to keep the room and themselves in the manner of one. One significant tradition they had as “candidates” was squaring their corners and screaming, “Sir, Go Navy, Sir!” at every 90-degree turn in the residence halls.
“I thoroughly enjoyed this experience,” said Brianna. “Not only did I make friends within and outside of my squad and participate in many rigorous activities with my fellow candidates, but I also found that the experience reinstated the importance of hard work and opened my eyes to the honor that comes with attending this school.”
