I'm currently stationed at the Prototype in New York. I'm almost done with my qualifications, which has allowed me to focus on furthering my own career. After much thought and research, I've decided to apply for the Naval Academy to become a nuclear officer, and I've been working on my Personal Statement. I have it posted here, and any ideas on improving it would be greatly appreciated!
Here are the guidelines:
In a well-organized essay of 300 to 500 words, please discuss the following:
(1) Describe what led to your initial interest in the naval service and how the Naval Academy will help you achieve your long range goals, and
(2) Describe a personal experience you have had which you feel has contributed to your own character development and integrity.
And here is my personal statement:
My life’s goal is to strive for personal excellence. As far back as I can remember, I have always taken pains to achieve that goal, and today, when faced with the decision of receiving immediate self-gratification or sacrificing that time to improve the traits that define who I am, I unfailingly choose the latter. These sacrifices allowed me to conquer my fear of public speaking by auditioning and subsequently winning lead roles in plays, remove my apprehension from “performance under pressure” by sacrificially practicing and ultimately becoming the team captain and star player of my high school golf team, and refine my knowledge by diligently studying for upcoming exams in order to receive exceptional grades. However, my strong desire for a much greater challenge compelled me to follow in my family’s footsteps and become the fourth generation of a strongly-founded Navy lineage by joining its nuclear program.
My decision to join the Nuclear Navy is beyond exception the most rewarding decision I have ever made. This program challenges me to utilize my full potential and strong work ethic in order to stand out above others while concurrently training me to adopt key attributes such as discipline, responsibility, and leadership. I am proud to have graduated Nuclear Power School with distinction, and I successfully take class leadership positions while simultaneously staying far ahead academically, despite the increased responsibilities during my training. My ability to lead others allows me to discover how to make correct decisions under large amounts of stress, enables me to focus on the big picture in order to accomplish the task at hand, and permits me to acquire the valuable personal traits, among those is the ability to listen to my superiors’ advice in order to gain from their wisdom. The time I’ve spent so far serving our country as a leader in the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program has been both a challenging and recompensing experience, and the opportunities I’m given reinforce the qualities that I am working diligently to improve every day.
The experience and knowledge I receive from the Navy continue to be exceptional tools that I use to excel when faced with difficult challenges, and I know that becoming a member of the United States Naval Academy will undoubtedly help transform me into the man that I dream of becoming; I will devote all my effort towards improving my leadership skills and encourage others to do the same. My ability to successfully and consistently lead others shows me the true potential that I have in guiding my fellow shipmates, and will allow me to one day make significant decisions that will guide our Navy into a new and uncertain future. I look forward to serving alongside the Navy’s finest and most disciplined officers.