Press Release
Posted:
Washington – Today Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-05) announced that three students from the Fifth Congressional District have been nominated and accepted offers to our nation’s military service academies. Students have been appointed to the U.S. Naval Academy Prep School, the U.S. Air Force Academy, and the U.S. Naval Academy.
“Military service is a deep responsibility and I am honored each year to nominate candidates from our district to attend our nation’s military service academies. These students represent our community’s highest standards of academic dedication and public service and those accepted this year have completed a competitive application process,” said Thompson. “The three students are exemplary in their achievements, having overcome many barriers to succeed. Two students are first generation American citizens and the other survived the terrorist attack at the Boston Marathon. We are so proud of their decision to serve our nation in uniform. Our entire district cannot wait to see all you accomplish!”
Each year, local candidates are interviewed for nomination to our nation’s service academies. Those nominated then must be accepted for appointment by the academies. Appointees from the Fifth Congressional District were honored at a ceremony at St. Supéry Estate Vineyards and Winery in Rutherford this weekend. Biographies of each student are included below.
For the U.S. Naval Academy Preparatory School:
Aaron Hern is a Martinez resident who attends Alhambra Senior High School. Hailing from a Navy family, Aaron has a lifetime of dedication to his community and to the highest levels of achievement. He was injured in the Boston Marathon Bombing in 2013 but was determined to recover, working hard at his rehabilitation from a wheelchair. He never gave up, eventually securing a slot on his high school’s varsity football team. He was offered a spot at the Preparatory school, which he will be joining in the fall.
For the U.S. Air Force Academy:
Alan Kobylik resides in Martinez and attends Alhambra Senior High School. The son of immigrants from the Soviet Czech Republic, Alan has a deep appreciation for the freedoms offered to those is America and decided early on he wanted to find a way to protect those values. A natural leader, he’s grown the Key Club to one of the largest volunteer organizations at his school. He’s also excelled in the Civil Air Patrol, the auxiliary Air Force, and at Encampment, a week-long bootcamp. He was named “Young Man of the Year” by the Martinez Chamber of Commerce as well as Thompson’s “2018 Student Leader of the Year.” He will join the U.S. Air Force Academy upon graduating.
For the U.S. Naval Academy:
Antonius Wells is a Calistoga Native who attended Justin Siena before receiving a U.S. Naval Academy Foundation Scholarship to attend the academy’s preparatory school. There he maintained a 4.0 GPA and attended the summer STEM and USNA seminar. In high school, he was captain of his lacrosse team for three years. He will join the U.S. Naval Academy in the fall.
