Press Release
Posted:
Washington – Today Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-05) announced he has nominated 5 students as service academy appointees from the Fifth Congressional District. Students are candidates to attend the U.S. Air Force Academy, the U.S. Naval Academy, and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
“Serving in our military is a high honor and a deep responsibility and so I take the opportunity to appoint candidates from our district for our nation’s service academies very seriously. Students complete a competitive application process and must meet our highest standards of hard work and dedication,” said Thompson. “The five students chosen this year are exemplary in their academic achievements and stellar in their commitment to community service. We are so proud of them and commend their decision to serve our nation in uniform. We cannot wait to see all they accomplish!”
Appointees were honored at a ceremony at St. Supéry Estate Vineyards and Winery in Rutherford last night. Biographies of each student are included below.
For the Air Force Academy:
- Charleen Mei Lazaro Muyot attended the USAF Prep School. She lives in American Canyon and attended American Canyon High School. She was born in the Philippines, and is the first in her family to join the Air Force. She has taken advanced courses in mathematics, English, and chemistry while in high school. She also has volunteered for Habitat for Humanity, Airman Against Drunk Driving, and at the Tuscan Food Bank.
- Patrick McDermott lives in Santa Rosa and attends Cardinal Newman High School. He volunteers with organizations that help our veterans, provide assistance to homeless individuals, support senior citizens, help foster children, and provide relief for survivors of the Lake and Sonoma County fires. His father was a flight surgeon in the Unites States Navy and his grandfather served in the Air Force. Patrick has prepared himself for a military career with service as an Eagle Scout, an intern Congressman Mike Thompson’s office, and own business specializing in drone photography for Sonoma County wineries. At the Air Force Academy, Patrick hopes to focus his career in aviation with a degree in aeronautical engineering.
For the Naval Academy:
- John “Jack” Murray is from Santa Rosa. He attended Cardinal Newman and went to college for one year before applying for a nomination. He has volunteered for several years with the Redwood Empire Food Bank, the Community-based Service Learning Project in Sonoma County, with Money Think (a club dedicated to teaching children the importance of saving money), and as a baseball coach for young children in our community. In 2015 and 2016 he was a delegate for California Boys State and the Youth Action Summit of California. He is also an Eagle Scout with Troop 32 in Santa Rosa, a member of the Order of the Arrow, the scouting group’s national honor society. During his time at Cardinal Newman, he served in several positions on the student government and as the school’s sports writer for their newspaper.
- Antonius Wells lives in Calistoga and attends Justin Siena High School. He has been accepted into the Naval Academy Preparatory School before entry into the Academy where he would like to focus on cyber security. He has also taken many engineering courses at Justin-Siena High School. He attended both Naval Academy’s Summer STEM and Summer Seminar programs and has visited the campus on many occasions with his stepfather, who also attended the Academy and retired as a Commander in the Navy. His mom is a Russian native and speaks Russian. He has received recognition for his athleticism both in football and lacrosse.
For the Military Academy at West Point:
- Dora Zoeller is from Santa Rosa, and is currently living in Seoul, South Korea, where her family is stationed. Both of her parents are retired colonels in the U.S. Army – her father was in civil affairs and her mother was a doctor. Currently her mom is the deputy director general of the international vaccine institute in Seoul
