{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://russell.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/steve-russell-nominates-fifth-district-students-us-service-academies", "Steve Russell Nominates Fifth District Students to U.S. Service Academies", "2015-12-21", "2015", "2015-12", "Republican", "House", "OK", "Steve Russell", "R000604", "russell.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Del City, O.K. - Each year, members of Congress are given the opportunity to nominate a certain number of students from their district to the Military Academy at West Point, U.S. Air Force, Merchant Marine, and Naval Academies. The students nominated become eligible for an appointment, and if selected will begin classes next fall.\nCongressman Steve Russell (OK-05) spoke about the 2015 nominations from Oklahomas Fifth District to one or more of the United States Service Academies saying, I could not be more pleased with the candidates. The review board did a magnificent job assisting me with who should be nominated for our military academies. The board took their job seriously, and the result is a great class of nominees. Those of whom made it through the process reflect the best of Oklahoma and I am sure they will make their families, friends, communities and district as a whole proud with the successes they have in store for them.\nThe process for receiving a nomination is highly competitive. Nominations are made based on a composite of academic factors including class rank and SAT/ACT scores. They are also evaluated based on leadership potential as well as athletic and other extracurricular activities.\nEach applicant underwent a personal interview with Congressman Russells review board comprised of retired service members and Academy graduates. Russells board included the former commander of the Air Force Sustainment Center at Tinker, Lt. Gen. Bruce Litchfield (Ret.); 1980 Naval Academy graduate and Oklahoma City realtor Nels Petersen; Captain Solange Eddy, a 2010 Air Force Academy graduate stationed at Tinker; Retired Army Staff Sergeant Rusty Dunagan; and 2005 Military Academy graduate and Oklahoma City banker, Edward Ted Perry.\nThe list below includes the names, hometowns, and high schools for each nominee as well as the academy to which they are nominated. Nominations will now be considered by the academies selection committees for potential acceptance for admission. Many of these students received nominations to multiple academies.\nMs. Paige Miles: Oklahoma City, Heritage Hall  Naval Academy\nMr. Shaun Johnson: Oklahoma City, Harding Charter Preparatory Academy  Naval, Military, Air Force\nMr. Hunter Hill: Edmond, Bishop McGuinness  Military, Naval Academy\nMr. Jose Maria G. Borrego Acosta III: Heritage Hall  Military, Air Force\nMs. Anne Ryan: Edmond, Edmond North  Military, Air Force, Naval\nMs. Masen Nichols: Edmond, Deer Creek High School  Naval, Air Force\nMr. Erich Eden: Harrah, Harrah High School  Naval\nMr. Tate Troxell: Edmond, Edmond Memorial  Air Force\nMs. Sofia Figueroa: Choctaw, Bishop McGuinness  Naval, Military\nMr. Jonah Weltzheimer: Edmond, Edmond Memorial  Air Force\nMs. Grace Hatch: Edmond, Bishop McGuinness  Naval, Military, Air Force\nStudents wishing to be considered for a Congressional nomination for the fall of 2017 may go to Russells official House of Representatives Website (russell.house.gov) to learn the requirements and may apply until July 1 of their 23rd birthday.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "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://russell.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/steve-russell-nominates-fifth-district-students-us-service-academies"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.3327074013650417, "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"}