U.S. Representative Veronica Escobar celebrated 21 outstanding local high school students from Texas's 16th Congressional District, whom she nominated for admission to U.S. Service Academies in March.
Among the nominees were five high-achieving seniors and alumni from the Socorro Independent School District, including:
Hazel Acosta, Pebble Hills High School Class of 2025, U.S. Air Force Academy
Lucas G. Brandon, Eastlake High School Class of 2024, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy
Isabelle V. Leon, Pebble Hills High School, U.S. Air Force Academy
Jacob Z. McLure, Socorro High School, U.S. Naval Academy, US Military Academy
Jesus Solis, Pebble Hills High School, U.S. Air Force Academy
On March 7, Escobar hosted a ceremony to announce the nominees, recognizing them for their high character, academic achievements and service-driven leadership within the El Paso community.
“One of the best parts of my job is being able to nominate talented, impressive, dedicated young people to the service academies,” Escobar said.
To be considered for an appointment to a service academy, applicants must be nominated by an authorized nominating source, such as a member of Congress.
As part of the nomination process, the nominees were evaluated by a panel based on their academic record, test scores, leadership ability, extracurricular activities, and desire to serve their country.
“It's a very competitive process. But one of the fun parts of that process is celebrating them once they've received their nomination,” Escobar said. “And they get to be surrounded by their loved ones, their teachers, their superintendents, leadership from Fort Bliss, so that we can celebrate their remarkable achievement, but also wish them well on the next part of the journey, which is getting accepted into a service academy.”
Jacob Z. McLure, a senior at Socorro High School, was nominated for admission to the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York, and the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. His leadership and accomplishments made him an excellent candidate for these institutions.
“I hope to become a naval aviator and making a career of it, but mainly just developing myself and my character, and I believe the Navy has the best opportunity for that,” McLure said about his future plans.
He said he was grateful for the community's support, particularly from Fort Bliss representatives who came out to congratulate the nominees.
“I love that they are actually taking their time to come and be with us since we're going to be representing their population when we go out into the world,” McClure said.