San Luis High student picks West Point
Nathania Nuño accepted to all five service academies
This year, Nathania Nuño got accepted to not just one, but all five of the nation’s service academies.
And that left the San Luis High School senior with a big decision to make: Which one would she attend?
She’s chosen the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y.
“I’m actually mostly excited,” said Nuño, first San Luis resident in the city’s history to be accepted a military academy.
“I’m a little nervous, but I’m excited, because I’ve always looked forward to change and to a new environment.”
Nuño, scheduled to graduate from high school May 26, said she leaves in early July for West Point, where she’ll undergo six weeks of basic training before beginning her studies.
At San Luis High School, she maintained a 4.183 grade point average, while also competing on the girl’s varsity track, basketball and volleyball teams.
As she was exploring options for higher education, Nuño decided to apply to all of the service academies. In March, she was notified she had been accepted to West Point and the Naval and Air Force academies.
Later, she gained acceptance to the Coast Guard and Merchant Marine academies as well. During spring break, Nuño reached a decision about which one she’ll attend.
“I’ll be attending West Point. I felt West Point best fit my personality and what I want to do,” she said. “It’s a great institution and it’s known for its academic achievements.”
Apart from fulfilling her commitment to serve as an Army officer following graduation, Nuño says, she wants to go on to medical
school and become a doctor, whether in the Army or later on in private practice.
Nuño said being a doctor has been a dream of hers since childhood, and while the field of anesthesiology currently interests her, she’s not ruling out pursuing other medical specialties.
Nuño is the daughter of Javier and Beatriz Nuño of San Luis.
“They were excited I finally made a decision,” she said. “They said they would support me no matter where I went, so that was a comforting feeling as well.”
Apart from her parents, Nuño said, her teachers, counselors and coaches proved helpful to her as she went through the process of applying for slots in the academies.
“It’s a huge honor,” she said. “Honestly, I didn’t expect to get accepted into all five academies.”