Six Students Nominated by Evans Accepted at U.S. Service Academies

WASHINGTON (June 22, 2023) – Congressman Dwight Evans (D-PA-3rd) announced that six students he nominated have been accepted at U.S. service academies. 

“I’m proud of all of these young people! To be accepted at any of these prestigious, highly competitive academies is an honor in itself, and I look forward to seeing them succeed as they begin their service to our country,” Evans said. 

The six students, their high schools, and the academies that accepted them are: 

·    ●   Queenie Chiu of Passyunk Square, Central High School, U.S. Air Force Academy;

·    ●    Isaiah Shuchman of Rittenhouse Square, The Haverford School, U.S. Naval Academy;

·    ●    Joshua Sor of Cedar Park, Roman Catholic High School, U.S. Naval Academy;

·●Samantha Urbine of Society Hill, Saint Catherine’s School of Richmond, Va.; U.S. Air Force Academy; her sister, Alexandra Urbine, was previously nominated by Evans and graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in May;

·    ●    Avi Ragozzino of Bryn Mawr, Harriton High School, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy* and

·    ●    Michael Cook of Lancaster, Lancaster Country Day School, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.*

* Students interested in the Merchant Marine Academy may be nominated from anywhere in the same state as the member of Congress. 

Students interested in a service academy nomination should visit evans.house.gov, click on Services, then Military Academy Nominations. The deadline to apply is Oct. 31, 2023. 

Last December, legislation similar to an initiative Evans co-introduced to improve diversity at the nation’s military service academies became law. The compromise version of the Evans amendment modifies the Department of Defense's annual report on demographics of military service academy applicants with a view to identifying disparities in demographic categories and identifying suspected causes of such disparities within the application or nominating process. 

Evans said the law that includes his diversity amendment, the National Defense Authorization Act of 2022, also:

·     ●    Supports an increase in military basic pay by 4.6% for service members.

·     ●    Increases the service member housing allowance by 2% and requires a report on a more transparent, fair, and flexible way to calculate the basic allowance for housing.

·     ●    Increases the threshold to be eligible for the Basic Needs Allowance (BNA), which will now be up to 150% of the federal poverty line.

·     ●    Increases funds for the commissaries to help offset higher prices.

·     ●    Builds on historic reforms in the FY22 NDAA to the Uniform Code of Military Justice, including placing sexual harassment and other offenses under the jurisdiction of the Special Trial Counsel and requiring independent trained investigators outside of the immediate chain of command to investigate claims of sexual harassment.

·     ●    Continues efforts by Congress to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, promote clean energy, and enhance energy resilience within the military. 

Evans represents the 3rd Congressional District, which includes Northwest and West Philadelphia and parts of North, South, Southwest and Center City Philadelphia. His website is evans.house.gov and his social media handle is @RepDwightEvans on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. 

###