{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://castor.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=404723", "Castor Announces 2024 Nominations to Prestigious U.S. Military Academies", "2024-12-02", "2024", "2024-12", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Kathy Castor", "C001066", "castor.house.gov", "castor", "https://castor.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "TAMPA, Fla. \u2013 Today, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL-14) announced 26 Tampa Bay area students who received nominations for admission into America\u2019s prestigious military academies: Air Force Academy (USAFA), Naval Academy (USNA), West Point (USMA) and the Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA). The outstanding student leaders hail from more than ten local high schools in Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties.\n\n\u201cThese talented student leaders are vital to the future of America. Their interest in serving our country brings great pride to our patriotic Tampa Bay community,\u201d said Castor. \u201cI\u2019m grateful for the service of my Nomination Committee, which thoroughly reviews every application and interviews interested students. I am confident that this year's nominees will represent the Tampa Bay Area and our nation well in their future endeavors.\u201d\n\nPhotos of the nominees can be found here.\n\nReceiving a nomination to one of our nation\u2019s military academies is an essential step towards receiving an appointment to the academies. Nominations are earned based on each student\u2019s interview with Castor\u2019s Nomination Committee, their academic record, participation in extracurricular activities and demonstrated leadership qualities. Because of the stringent application requirements, many students begin working on what it takes to apply as early as their first year of high school.\n\nUnder federal law, all U.S. military academies, except the Coast Guard Academy, require either a service-connected nomination or a congressional nomination (from a member of Congress in either the U.S. House or Senate or the Vice President of the United States). Parents and students interested in the nomination process can work with their school guidance counselors and find more information at Service Academy Nominations | U.S. Representative Kathy Castor (house.gov).\n\nCastor will announce official appointments at a later date after being notified of appointments by the academies. Today\u2019s announcement is the conclusion of Castor\u2019s 2024 competitive nomination process. The nominees who receive an appointment from a U.S. military academy will attend their respective academies in the 2025-2026 school year.\n\nU.S. Rep. Castor granted her nomination to the following students for one or more of the U.S. military academies:\n\nQuenten A. Erikson, T.R. Robinson High School \u2013 USAFA and USMA\n\nDanielle K. Donis, Air Force Academy Preparatory School \u2013 USAFA (not pictured)\n\nRoman M. Lermer, Jesuit High School \u2013 USAFA (not pictured)\n\nDesmond A. Nunez, H.B. Plant High School \u2013 USNA and USAFA\n\nJames F. Riley, Lake Braddock Secondary School \u2013 USNA and USAFA (not pictured)\n\nJessica R. Grasso, St. Petersburg High School \u2013 USAFA and USMA (not pictured)\n\nNoelle E. Sizemore, T.R. Robinson High School \u2013 USNA and USAFA\n\nJocelyn K. Sheppard, Shorecrest Preparatory School \u2013 USMA\n\nWilliam L. Cadden, H.B. Plant High School \u2013 USAFA and USMA\n\nHannah Hankerson, Berkeley Preparatory School \u2013 USMA\n\nXavier Terrell, Lakewood High School \u2013 USMA\n\nBerlin E. Stanton, Canterbury School of Florida \u2013 USMA\n\nJada L. James, Academy of the Holy Names \u2013 USNA and USMA\n\nTrace Benn, Jesuit High School \u2013 USMA\n\nRico Gordon-Dones, H.B. Plant High School \u2013 USNA and USAFA\n\nCarmen Rivera, H.B. Plant High School \u2013 USNA and USAFA\n\nCyrus Lovell, H.B. Plant High School \u2013 USNA\n\nIsabella Valerio, Admiral Farragut Academy \u2013 USNA and USMA\n\nWilliam D. Baker, H.B. Plant High School \u2013 USNA and USAFA\n\nElijah Chames R., Berkeley Preparatory School \u2013 USNA\n\nJoseph Delucia Jr., - Jesuit High School \u2013 USMA\n\nCarter W. Ford, Shorecrest Preparatory School \u2013 USMMA\n\nAva M. Booker, T. R. Robinson High School \u2013 USNA and USMMA\n\nJohn K. McGivern, Tampa Preparatory School \u2013 USNA and USMMA\n\nDioz R. Cruz, Matanzas High School \u2013 USMMA\n\nNoah S. Deane, Jefferson High School \u2013 USMMA", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T22:13:55Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://castor.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=404723"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.7023109830915928, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}