Two Mount Vernon students, Zatyk Holub and Lawson Hasley, were among those nominated for military academies after college by Sen. Joni Ernst, Sen. Chuck Grassley and Representative Ashley Hinson.
Zatyk Holub of Mount Vernon received nominations to the United States Merchant Marine Academy from U.S. Reperesentative Ashley Hinson, Sen. Joni Ernst and Sen. Chuck Grassley.
Holub said he is unsure of what he will be doing after school, but had looked into the Merchant Marine Academy, due to his father’s previous service in the Marines and one of his friends in the service having sons who have attended the university.
Holub said that applying to the service academy was like any other college – needing recommendations from coaches and teachers, your grades.
The extra step was getting a letter of recommendation from the Senators and his congressional representative. That deadline was Oct. 31.
“You can only apply to your congress person, but you can apply to all of your Senators,” Holub said.
Holub said his dad was in the Marines in the forest recon division, and his grandparents served in the army. His stepdad has also served in the Iowa National Guard.
“I hadn’t really planned on going into the military service or a service academy, but a lot of opportunities have come about from applying,” Holub said.
Holub heard from Hinson’s office in early December, followed by Grassley and Ernst.
Holub said while he has been accepted, he isn’t 100 percent sure what option he is going to choose. He was also approved for a Navy Reserve Office Training Scholarship, that would pay $180,000 to whichever college he wants to attend with an ROTC program. He also has football scholarships that are still under consideration as well.
“I like the idea of spending two years in service and getting an opportunity to visit different countries,” Holub said.
Holub also said it was pretty cool to have all three of Iowa’s legislators approve him for the service academy after all the work in applying.
Hasley said he applied for both the Naval and Air Force Academies.
“I was nominated for the Naval Academy by Sen. Grassley, Air Force Academy by Sen. Ernst and both academies by Rep. Hinson,” Hasley said. “It has been a long dream of mine to attend one of the service academies. They are some of the highest level, most selective schools in the country, and I can also serve in the military after I graduate.
Hasley said he has had three uncles who have served in the military. His uncle Brian Gegharty was a United States Marine for 20 years, his uncle Rick Nelson was an officer for 20 years, working in strategic command at Offutt Air Force Base. His uncle Gary Tegler also served six years in the Air Force.
“I am looking forward to all the opportunities that come with attending service academies,” Hasley said. “All of the state-of-the-art technology on campus, the summer activities like being able to get my pilot’s license, skydiving, scuba diving, and 100s more to choose from. I chose the Naval and Air Force academies mostly because those were the ones I was most familiar with.”
Hasley also applied for Naval and Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps scholarships at Iowa State University, Michigan, Illinois Tech and Purdue.
Hasley plans to major in aerospace engineering, whichever school he finally chooses to attend.
Mount Vernon students options include military school
March 9, 2023
About the Contributor
Nathan Countryman, Editor
Nathan Countryman is the Editor of the Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun.