H-ton Senior Nina Cartwright Appointed to US Naval Academy
When Nina Cartwright decides to do something there is nothing that can possibly stand in her way. The Huntington High School senior has been appointed and accepted and will be attending the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland following her graduation in June.
“Since a young age I had been interested in aviation and even wrote that I wanted to be a pilot in the sixth grade yearbook,” Ms. Cartwright said. “However it wasn’t until my sophomore year that I truly became interested in a life of service to my country. I began to research the different service academies and what they stood for and allowed the interest to grow even more.”
The Huntington teenager kept thinking about her future and in what direction she wanted to go. “Finally, I took a trip down to Annapolis in the fall of my junior year and absolutely fell in love with what the Naval Academy has to offer,” Ms. Cartwright said. “It wasn’t just the stunning, waterside campus or the busy historic town of Annapolis It was the prestige and honor that every midshipman on the yard displayed. In an admissions briefing during that visit I learned that there are plenty of career options and majors to choose from at the academy, ranging from history to economics to every type of engineering possible.”
That trip convinced Ms. Cartwright that the USNA was the place for her. “I applied for the summer seminar for last June and was given a spot to travel down and actually live as a midshipman for a week,” she said. “I can say that the experience I had was a turning point in my life. Waking up at 5 a.m. every day to work out, one day even in a thunderstorm, was obviously challenging, but to me it was a realization that I would be dedicating my life to service and becoming a part of something much bigger than myself.”
Ms. Cartwright will enter the Naval Academy with her eyes wide open. “It’s not about the name of the school or the ranking that it holds, but what it stands for and what it represents,” she said. “The people at the academy are some of the most amazing people I’ve ever met and they definitely display the honor and respect that it takes to be a midshipmen. I cannot wait to spend the next four years with them.”
While the Huntington senior knows only too well that life as a freshman at the Naval Academy is “beyond busy,” she still hopes to participate on the school’s NCAA Division I track team as a pole vaulter. “I have also heard of many amazing clubs the academy offers, including a parachuting club and rock climbing team, so who knows what I will get involved in,” she said.
While she hasn’t settled on a specific course of study, Ms. Cartwright is sure she wants to pursue something with the STEM areas, most likely in the field of engineering.
The good natured teenager has developed many fruitful relationships with the faculty members, coaches and advisors she has worked with over the years. “The two teachers I have gotten closest with in my time here at Huntington are Ms. Nicole Cooper and Mr. Joseph Cohen,” Ms. Cartwright said. “They have both been science teachers of mine and have not only developed my interest in science, but taught me life lessons and been people I can easily go to with any problems I may have.”
A member of Huntington’s winter and spring track and field teams, Ms. Cartwright has had a hand in winning several team titles and she has set many individual records. “Although I entered high school as a competitive gymnast, I was able to transition my skills and continue sports by joining the track team, which has since become a major part of my life.”
With less than four months to go in her senior year, Ms. Cartwright has done some reflecting on the past four years. “I think that the key to having a successful time at Huntington is to find what you enjoy and just go from there,” she said. “Do the things you love; be with the people that make you happy and work hard to achieve your goals. Most importantly never let what other people think dictate what you do.”
Ms. Cartwright received an appointment to the Naval Academy from US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. She had to meet a whole host of academic and physical requirements before being formally accepted.
“When I look back 10-15 years from now on my time at Huntington I will definitely remember the amazing people that the school holds at every corner,” Ms. Cartwright said. “Some of the people I have met here have changed my life and made it that much better and I am so grateful that Huntington, along with its athletic programs, has allowed me to do that.”