O
N SATURDAY March 12th, Flotilla 09 of
Division 15 hosted more than 100
students, parents and guests in Clifton Park, New York, in a combined Academy Introduction Mission (AIM) and Coast Guard Academy Partner seminar. AIM is exclusively for students entering their senior year of High School and is regarded as the most realistic service academy summer orientation program in the country.
Months upon months, and hundreds of hours, went into planning the event by Upstate New York Academy Partner Coordinator, Harold Howarth, and his team of Academy Partners, Bill Kellar and Michael West. Academy Parent Association President and Academy Partner, Brad Brown was instrumental in planning and making this event an overwhelming success. More than 150 schools throughout upstate New York were polled seeking any students who had a desire to learn about the AIM program, the Academy and other maritime schools.
The motivation of this fine group of Partners was to provide students the tools needed to apply for the AIM program, to apply for admission to the Coast Guard Academy or any service related academy or school, and to provide them with other options, what we call Plan "B". Not to be forgotten this day were the parents, they being a critical part of this process and upon which the success of the students largely depends.
A key element in the program was the singularly outstanding presentation offered, on her own time and dime, by LT Elizabeth Newton, Coast Guard Academy '05, who came up from Sector New York. She reflected the Coast Guard, from head to toe, in a panoramic reflection of her own experience from AIM, through the Academy, moving into the challenges and enrichment gained as a junior officer aboard two ships, including Search and Rescue, Law Enforcement and ice breaking assignments, stepping on to inspecting large vessels, and segueing into more remote from hands-on ops of larger area leadership and management.
She even did her own website research to be able to advise prospects on application procedures for both AIM and the Academy. She is deserving of a hearty Bravo Zulu! Lt. Newton was clearly prepared for offering a structured presentation, but there was no need for scripted performance since everything she offered came authentically from within. Her power point slides were artfully selected to offer enhancement to her words, in no way bringing visual distraction from what she was saying. There being no Academy Admissions resource on hand, she went above and beyond in personally researching admissions website data to be able to relate valid advice and counsel about the Admissions process.
James Zittel, accepted and having signed his appointment to the upcoming Academy class,
OVER THE BOW Fall 2016