Students nominated to U.S. service academies honored

Students from Wantage, Lafayette and Hewitt are among those honored by U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-5, as his nominees to U.S. service academies at a recent ceremony at Ramapo College in Mahwah.

Gottheimer selected the nominees to the U.S. Military Academy (West Point), U.S. Naval Academy, U.S. Air Force Academy and U.S. Merchant Marine Academy through the counsel of his Service Academy Selection Committee, composed of local leaders and veterans who have served in different branches of the armed forces.

“I am amazed every year - these students blow me away with everything they do - from athletics to academics to community service,” he said.

“We are here today, though, because of the nominees themselves who, at such a young age, already show a tremendous commitment to serving our country. Their nomination to one of our four prestigious military academies ... is a recognition of their excellence in the classroom, in our community and their sense of duty to our country.”’

Among those nominated to the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., are Daniel Wask of Wantage and Elise Cantu of Lafayette.

Jacquelyn Galella of Hewitt was among those nominated to the U.S. Air Force Academy near Colorado Springs, Colo.

Katelin Hanifan of Lafayette was among the nominees to the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, N.Y.

Gottheimer was joined at the ceremony at Ramapo College by state Sen. Gordon Johnson; Stephen Kalish, Terry Yun and Kristin Dicksen, all Army veterans and West Point graduates; Marine Corps veteran Joyce Gonzalez; and Cindy Jebb, a retired Army Brigadier General, the 14th dean of the U.S. Military Academy and first woman to serve as dean at West Point, and now president of Ramapo College.

Members of Gottheimer’s selection committee include Jebb; Johnson; Kalish; Gonzalez; Dicksen; Yun; Vernon Mayor Howard Burrell, an Air Force veteran; Midland Park Mayor Harry Shortway Jr., a Marine Corps veteran; Merchant Marine Academy graduate Susan Wagner-Mckenna; Army veteran and West Point graduate Ken Mack; and Naval Academy graduates Hank Warnke and Luke Walsh.

The full list of students nominated by Gottheimer this year:

U.S. Military Academy mominations:

Aaron D’Alessandro, Montvale

Matthew Alasio, New Milford

Lynne Kim, Northvale

Elaine Kim, Closter

Charles Perruzzi, Allendale

Rebecca Storch, Haworth

Emily Yoo, Closter

Jason Singh, Paramus

Leo Park, Closter

Jacob Bae, Glen Rock

U.S. Naval Academy nominations:

Thomas Cowan, Norwood

George Kalkanis, Mahwah

Michael Bukosky, Allendale

Paul Maguire, Ringwood

Byeongjun Lee, Norwood

Daniel Wask, Wantage

Elise Cantu, Lafayette

Cooper Kurtz, Alpine

Jorge Pogue, Hillsdale

Macri Leanza, Demarest

U.S. Air Force Academy nominations:

Jacquelyn Galella, Hewitt

Christina Watrall, Mahwah

Colin Nicolaou, Blairstown

Markus Espinal, Dumont

Jessica Strickland, Franklin Lakes

Anthony Coronel, Fair Lawn

Sean Kim, River Edge

Eric Lynch, Wyckoff

Kaylin Chan, River Edge

U.S. Merchant Marine Academy nominations:

Andrew Zimmerman, Glen Rock

Harry Liu, Bound Brook

Ian Sheeron, Mount Laurel

Katelin Hanifan, Lafayette

Aaron Yarnell, Lebanon