Three Pisgah Patriots will attend U.S. Military Academies

publication date: Aug 14, 2008

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author/source: Roswell Beacon

An exceptional achievement will be realized this month as three local young men begin new chapters in their lives.

For a high school senior to be accepted at the college of their choice is an accomplishment for the student, their families, and often the high school itself. When three seniors from a single graduating class of 50 students all list service academies as their college of choice – the odds say that there will be some disappointments. Which is why the appointments of Mount Pisgah Christian School graduates Taylor Hall (West Point), Ali Choudry (West Point) and Mason Girard (Coast Guard) to service academies is such a remarkable accomplishment.

“To have one senior receive an appointment to a service academy is most difficult. To have three from the same school…is unheard-of,” said Les Gable, a Naval Academy graduate who presented the appointments as a delegate from Rep. Tom Price’s office.

Consider what an applicant must go through just to be considered for acceptance. Each academy receives 12,000-15,000 applications each year. Army has a freshman class with 1,200 students, only 800 of whom have come directly from high school. The Coast Guard’s freshman class will be less than 300.

To be considered one must have a 3.5 grade point average on a 4.0 scale and be in the top 20 percent of the graduating class. The average math and verbal SAT scores for those accepted is 1330.

Additionally, applicants must complete a physical fitness evaluation that tests strength, agility and speed. They also must be a U.S. citizen with 20/20 vision, no medical history, no allergies, no daily medications and must pass a Department of Defense medical evaluation. To ensure applicants are of high moral character they are interviewed by an alumnus of a service academy. Finally, they must receive a Congressional recommendation.

All of those steps must be completed before an applicant is even considered for admission.

“It is such a long process, I’m just glad it is over,” Choudry said of applying to West Point. “There are so many steps – it definitely makes it worthwhile when you are accepted.”

“It feels really good. It is a big relief to get into the school of my dreams,” Hall said.

Hall and Choudry admit to being a little apprehensive about their chances of getting in, especially after they learned they would both be applying to the same academy.

“I was a little nervous. I mean what are the odds of two people from the same school being accepted?  But we were both very supportive of each other. Going in together will be good,” Hall said.

“I think it says a lot about Pisgah that we had three graduates receive appointments,” said Mason Girard.

“Our service academies are considered the most difficult colleges in which to gain admittance,” said Gable. “I am so very proud of these young men. I have met them and their parents. They are most worthy to become the next generation of leadership for the armed services.”

Ali is the son of Mubarak and Virginia Choudry of Roswell. Taylor is the son of Leamon and Kim Hall of Alpharetta. Girard is the son of Steve and Rhonda, also of Alpharetta.