It’s a rare thing for a young person, a high school student, to earn an appointment to attend a United States service academy, there are but five such schools in the country — U.S. Military Academy, U.S. Naval Academy, U.S. Air Force Academy, U.S. Coast Guard Academy, and U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.

Each has stringent entry requirements and not everyone who applies qualifies or is accepted. They are all rich in history and tradition, perhaps none more so than the oldest of the five, the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

Established in 1802 along the Hudson River in West Point, New York, the USMA “is renowned for producing exceptional leaders … the academy was initially founded by President Thomas Jefferson to train officers for the rapidly expanding army.”

North Beach High School senior Noah Aquino has earned such an appointment and he plans to embark on the process to join The Long Gray Line upon graduation from North Beach High School in June. If he completes his degree program and military instruction, Aquino will graduate as a member of West Point’s Class of 2029 and earn a commission as a second lieutenant in the United States Army.

According to Aquino, he comes from a family actively engaged in military service. And even at the age of five while watching a documentary about the army with his mother, Aquino proclaimed, “I’m going to do that someday.” His mother, Kristin Farris, said he never wavered from that declaration.

“I grew up around the military my whole life, one of my first memories is of watching my brother go to basic training,” Aquino said. “As I got older, and started looking into what I wanted to do, throughout my high school career, I’ve done a lot of work with our state Legislature. What I want to do in the future is help people. Going to West Point, going through their process, is going to be the best way for me to do that.”

An essay Aquino wrote and sent to the USMA told his mother all she needed to know about his intentions and commitment to this particular career path.

Aquino wrote: “My older brother deployed to Iraq three times by the time I was seven. Saying goodbye to him (as he left) for basic training kicked off the next 14 years of my life following my brothers’ lives (now, two of them) around the globe. From wars, to working in a rainforest in Colombia, to evacuating Ukrainian citizens to safety, I have witnessed it all. These are the people that have inspired me my entire life. They inspire me to be better, do better, and to carefully and thoughtfully serve others. … As I move forward, I am committed to nurturing a culture of compassion and mutual learning, leveraging my background not just as a testament to my values but as a solid foundation for contributing to the enrichment of future communities I will be part of.”

“(That essay) tells me that he has carefully and thoughtfully thought this out. He knows what he wants to do and how he wants to do it. Reading this helped me understand exactly who my son has grown to be and what his own thoughts, perspectives and experiences are. I am confident in his decision for the future,” Farris said. “He spent years of his life working for this and at times, sacrificing his time in sports and with his friends, to travel, attend meetings, and various other things that helped get him to this point. I am extremely proud of him and have every confidence that he will be successful.”

Aquino, a multisport athlete at North Beach, missed the end of the Hyaks 2024-25 basketball season so he could tour Texas A&M and West Point. Texas A&M in College Station, Texas, is well known for its Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program. Ultimately, Aquino chose the USMA at West Point.

“I want to study civil engineering or economics,” Aquino said. “I have already been preparing for basic training coming up this summer, when I was touring the academy I was learning about some of the other responsibilities I am going to have there.”

Although relatively new to North Beach as the first-year dean of students and athletic director, it didn’t take long for former Marine Brent Wasche to take notice of Aquino’s character and his work ethic.

“Any time we get a student accepted to one of the service academies, I think it’s awesome. Noah is one of those kids who has shined here at North Beach. He’s a Running Start student right now, he’s done tremendous things, he’s made the honor roll for countless semesters, he does a heckuva job on that track team for us, we’re excited for him and his future, I think he made a great decision,” Wasche said. “From the time I got here, he was asking questions through email, gathering information on the service academies, he’s one of those kids who is always putting in the extra work and time, he’s present in the weight room consistently, he’s the guy getting extra work in. That says something about his character and about the hard work and effort he puts in. Academically, it’s unquestionable, his grades and transcripts have proven that. One of the best ways you can set yourself up for success in life is attending West Point or the Naval Academy.”

In order to earn acceptance to the USMA, candidates must meet basic requirements, score high enough on the ACT or SAT, submit an application, obtain a nomination, complete the Candidate Fitness Assessment, pass the medical exam, and complete a candidate checklist.

Aquino received nominations from U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash, as well as then-U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer, D, 6th District.

According to the USMA, new cadets will complete six weeks of Cadet Basic Training, learning the basic skills of the soldier. They participate in rigorous physical training, small-unit tactical training, and rifle marksmanship, and learn to respond quickly and accurately to their commanders under mental and physical stress. At the end of this initial training period, new Cadets will be formally accepted into the Corps of Cadets. Aquino is scheduled to begin Cadet Basic Training on June 30. Upon completion he will march in the Acceptance Day Parade and then begin his West Point career as a plebe (freshman).

“It’s a good way to serve others, that’s what I’ve been striving to do is be a better person myself for the betterment of others,” Aquino said. “An officer role where I can lead and help develop soldiers would be excellent for my goals as a person.”

More than 1,230 U.S. citizens and 16 international students, including 280 women, and 445 minorities were scheduled to report to the U.S. Military Academy on July 1, 2024, for Reception Day to join West Point’s Class of 2028. That incoming class was selected from a national pool of over 12,300 applicants. According to Aquino’s mother, Noah is one of just 1,200 candidates selected from a pool of 14,000 for the class of 2029.

A rare thing indeed.