Story by Hannah Perry (Corbin High School)
On March 6, Corbin High School Senior Henry Anderson received news that he had been accepted into the prestigious United States Naval Academy (USNA), which is located in Annapolis, Maryland. The USNA is an extremely competitive and selective school that greatly challenges applicants in fields of intelligence, achievement and strength.
“The process is unlike any other college application. An applicant has to be qualified in academics and physical strength, while also being nominated by a member of Congress,” Anderson said in an interview. “It took over three months of constant effort and the help of many people (which I am immensely grateful for) to simply submit my application.”
After submitting his application in September, he received two congressional nominations from U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers and U.S. Senator Rand Paul, beating out all other applicants in the district. This news was exhilarating as Anderson became one of a rare few CHS students to have received a Congressional nomination and appointment.
With this, his upcoming academics continue. He plans on studying nuclear engineering at the USNA after completing the basic training course, Plebe Summer, in July.
Though this is a major change in his life, he shows great excitement for this new journey.
“I am most excited to experience all the exclusive opportunities at the USNA, such as the ring dance and the athletic events,” Anderson said.
He concluded saying, “I am truly ecstatic for this experience. I have worked for this for many years now and it is very satisfying and rewarding to see how it has paid off!”
While at CHS, Anderson has been in the National Honors Society, The Y Club, Beta Club, Technology Student Association, and has been a member of the golf and wrestling teams. He earned the title of Wrestling All-American Scholar.
On application documents to the U.S. Naval Academy, Anderson noted that “I will not abandon by community. I will use what I have learned and gained from my time at the Naval Academy and put it to use in my local area.”
Anderson was recognized during the Corbin Board of Education’s monthly meeting Thursday evening, which was held at the Corbin Education Center.
“I just want to say that I am very thankful that I have such a tight knit and close community that they would honor someone like me,” he told the board. “Whenever I started the application process, really I was pretty much consumed by getting my essays in and getting my letters and making sure my grades were up.”
“I never really realized the impact that me going to the Naval Academy would have on my community because I am not just representing myself. I am representing the school system. I am representing teachers, and my hometown. Whenever I am up there I plan to make you all proud and that you haven’t wasted time on me.”
Anderson is the son of Eric Anderson, who is a United States Marie Corps veteran.
(Information in this article was contributed by Mark White.)
