By Ellie Shalvarjian
Features Editor
Costa Senior, Amanda Montag, served, set, and spiked her way into the United States Naval Academy, USNA, with an athletic volleyball spot on their women’s team.
Alongside playing volleyball for the four years she will be attending college there, she will specifically be studying oceanography and ocean engineering. The USNA, an undergraduate college for those seeking to obtain a job as a naval lieutenant after college, started to recruit Montag at the beginning of the 2015-16 school year.
“I think this is such an honor because it’s such a rigorous school in terms of academics and so few people get in and really understand like the full value of what they’re getting into,” Montag said. “You get to serve your country and do things to better, not only your country, but the people around you all over the world.”
After attending college at USNA for four years, Montag will be required to serve at least five years in the Navy or the Marine Corps as a lieutenant. According to Montag, she plans to obtain a job within California that is involved with the government, that does not entail too much travelling overseas; however, if she is chosen to be on overseas travel she aims to be researching oceanography and engineering aboard.
“Honestly I wasn’t super excited when I first committed because I never saw myself serving in the Navy,” Montag said. “However, over the course of a few months I’ve just really appreciated what this opportunity in USNA is for me.”
In addition to volleyball and academics, the USNA offers a variety of travel abroad programs. These programs are supplementary to either studies or the work one plans to commit to after college. Furthermore, all college expenses will be covered by USNA and if Montag decides to attend the masters program, that will also be covered.
“One thing that I really love about the Naval Academy is that after I graduate I could also choose to go back to college for my masters degree at any college I choose and it will be paid for by the Naval Academy,” Montag said. “So alongside pursuing oceanography or engineering I am also considering going back to USNA for my masters in the future.”
According to Montag, she will still have the average college experience as anyone else attending other colleges not affiliated with the Navy or Marine Corps. Furthermore, another positive of the Naval Academy is how she will be able to obtain international experience from the school to broaden her view of the world, Montag said.
“I love the campus and students and I realized that I will still have the normal college experience except the academy has additional benefits,” Montag said. “It’s just really amazing to be able to have that experience of traveling abroad and experiencing everything is so humbling.”
Although Montag’s official plans for post USNA and post Marine Corps or Navy are unclear, Montag is still excited to have the college experience while it lasts, she said. While Montag is considering going to receive her masters at the USNA, for now, she is taking it year by year.
“’I am so excited. It’s nice knowing I’ll come out of college debt free, with a guaranteed job that is specified to a major I worked hard to get a degree in, with all the leadership training and schooling I got,” Montag said. “I love the courses I am taking and I hope that I can be as passionate about what I’m doing after college as I am going into it.”
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