BELLE GLADE — Patriana Vickers, a junior at Glades Central High School, has been accepted into the United States Naval Academy’s Summer Session (NASS) for June 15-20.

Terry McIntyre, who has been assigned as Ms. Vickers’ “Blue and Gold Officer” (BGO), guided her through the entire application instructions and process. She notified school district officials, Therese Barbera, a spokeswoman for the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, and many others of the “great news” via an email. Ms. Barbera passed that along on Thursday, April 25.

But not only was Patriana honored by the selection itself, said Ms. McIntyre; she “also received a full tuition and travel scholarship to attend.”

“NASS is a very competitive program,” Ms. McIntyre’s email said. “Upwards of 6,000 students from across the nation applied, and only 2,550 (approximately 42%) were accepted to attend one of the three sessions. The sessions are quite large at approximately 850 students each.”

The Naval Academy’s assigned BGO for Ms. Vickers also said that “those who are accepted to NASS are considered to be allowed to begin the application process toward being awarded an appointment to the United States Naval Academy for a fully paid four-year undergraduate degree.”

Ms. Vickers will attend for Session 3 of the Summer Seminar, which is June 15-20. According to the U.S. Naval Academy’s website: “Summer Seminar will introduce (students) to life at the academy, where you will experience first-class academic, athletic and professional training. Your Summer Seminar application will also serve as a preliminary application to the Academy that you will complete before or during your senior year.”

The USNA is the No. 1 public college in the United States, according to the Top 25 Public College in the U.S. list of 2017 published by Forbes magazine.

Ms. Vickers “will live in Bancroft Hall, experience life on The Yard and learn from some of our best midshipmen and most esteemed faculty,” the academy promises.

Students get to attend workshops on topics including: information technology; naval architecture; mechanical engineering; ocean engineering; aerospace flight testing; systems engineering; microcomputer design; seamanship and navigation; yard patrol craft (YP) cruise; ethics and character development; oceanography; mathematics; history; meteorology; literature; chemistry; political science; language studies; martial arts; and, economics.

A typical day goes like this, with military time notations used:
• 0545-0630 physical training, introduction to PEP;
• 0700-0720 breakfast;
• 0730-1215 morning academic workshops;

• 1225-1300 lunch;
• 1345-1600 afternoon academic workshops;
• 1600-1800 intramurals, special events;
• 1830-1900 evening meal;
• 2000-2245 squad/company time, special events;
• 2300 Taps: much-needed rest.