Hartford, CT—Today, U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and U.S. Representatives John Larson (D-1), Joe Courtney (D-2), Rosa DeLauro (D-3), Jim Himes (D-4), and Elizabeth Esty (D-5) released the names of the Connecticut students who have been appointed to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, New York. 

“It’s an honor to announce the Connecticut students who will attend our nation’s prestigious service academies. Nominating incredibly bright and hard-working young women and men eager to learn, lead, and serve our country is an extraordinary privilege,” said the delegation. “We wish these students and their families the best of luck and are grateful for their grit, intelligence, and desire to serve.”  

Each year, Members of Congress are able to nominate candidates for appointment to four of the nation’s U.S. service academies. Graduates are commissioned as officers in the active or reserve components of the military or Merchant Marine and serve for a minimum of five years. 

The nominees were chosen by each Member’s Selection Committees, a nonpartisan board made up of service academy graduates, veterans, educators, community leaders, and retired military personnel.  

Those nominees who have accepted appointment are listed below.

U.S. Naval Academy

  • Cameron Michael Berger, New Milford
  • Logan Grace Book, Darien
  • Thomas Patrick Costello, West Hartford
  • Martin Joseph Duffy, Fairfield
  • Jack Albert Eichen, Washington
  • Nicholas Harrison Franchuk, Southport
  • Stephen Macgregor Gemmell, Hamden
  • Joseph Anthony Giannini, Branford
  • Abhishek Gorti, Hamden
  • Jonathan Gabriel Hernandez, Avon
  • Dean Matthew Hochman, Fairfield
  • Ryan Hadlow Koehler, Groton
  • Savada Minnie Robinson, Oxford
  • Philip Hunter Ross, Woodbridge
  • Thomas Christopher Savarese, Shelton
  • Andrew Joseph Swain, West Hartford
  • Amar S. Viswanathan, Waterford 

U.S. Military Academy at West Point

  • Jessica Jeanne Barry, Tolland
  • Raymond Paul Bartoli, Wolcott
  • Thomas James Bordeauz, Jr., Woodbridge
  • Taylor Aston Bradley, Wethersfield
  • Stephen John Cavoli, Jr., Darien
  • Aristotle James Colarossi, Stamford
  • Spencer Jean-Philip Daniels, Westport
  • Robert Ethan Elkins, Danbury
  • Alexander Henry Fortier, Deep River
  • Michael Joseph Halas II, Danbury
  • Zachary Dean Hazzard, Ellington
  • Karl Andrew Johnson, Westport
  • Geoffrey Bjorn Kirk, Avon
  • Hunter Ldous Knibbe, Ridgefield
  • Kaitlyn Marie Kutz, Darien
  • HyunJin Lim, Branford
  • Benjamin Scott McDougall, East Granby
  • Raymond Ronald Miklos III, Madison
  • Aaron Stephen Mullally, New Fairfield
  • Ryan Alan Murphy, Stamford
  • George Alexander Pavlakis, Avon
  • Riley Talmage Roarick, Old Saybrook
  • Max Aaron Scheps, Orange
  • Cara Linh Shattan, New Canaan
  • Elijah Bretnal Stephenson, Bridgeport
  • Sean Paul Stolarski, Weston
  • John David Swanson, Washington Depot
  • Joseph Seamus Waldron, Danbury
  • Ryan Corbitt Witter, Unionville

U.S. Air Force Academy

  • Alexander William Cooper, Waterford
  • Olivia Rose Cretella, Plainville
  • Thomas Malcolm Heisler, Westport
  • Colin John Kennelly, Prospect
  • Caleb Thomas Melinosky, North Stonington
  • Olivia Chantal Pease, Ashford
  • Alexander James Presley, Greenwich
  • Luke Austin St. Pierre, Ridgefield
  • Franklin Noel Valentin, Jr., East Hartford
  • yan Martin Van Riper, Glastonbury

U.S. Merchant Marine Academy

  • Jake Nolan Beinstein, Old Greenwich
  • Audrey Grace Dean, Bolton
  • Kieran Edmond Duggan, Woodbury
  • Virginia Grace Poe, Groton

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