Three Oak Ridge grads appointed to service academies

Beatrice Shea has been accepted into the Air Force Academy.
Beatrice Shea has been accepted into the Air Force Academy.

Three 2022 Oak Ridge High School graduates — including twins — have been accepted into military academies.

They are Beatrice Shea (Air Force Academy), Caden Uptgraft (West Point), and Jamison Uptgraft (West Point). We took some time to ask these graduates about their goals, aspirations, and influential people in their decisions to pursue service in the academies.

The U.S. service academies provide instruction and experience to all cadets so that they graduate with the knowledge and character essential to leadership and the motivation to become career officers in the U.S. military. To be eligible to enter an Academy, new applicants must be 17 to 23 years old, unmarried U.S. citizens of good moral character. Candidates must come from a well-rounded program of leadership, academic, and athletic preparation to meet the high admission standards. They are to exhibit dedication, desire to serve others, ability to accept discipline, sense of duty, and morality, according to a news release.

Beatrice Shea has had her eye on attending a service academy since she was in seventh grade at Jefferson Middle School. She hopes to continue her family's military legacy, which includes service in the Army, Navy, and the Air Force, while creating her own as the first woman in her family to serve. Beatrice’s goals as a USAFA Cadet and future Air Force officer are to serve her country, run track and cross country for the Falcons, and eventually attend graduate school. She plans to pursue a double major in mathematics and engineering, and her goal is to be a Combat Systems Officer.

Throughout the application process, several people played an important role in helping Beatrice achieve her appointment to the Air Force Academy.

Beatrice said, "My middle school physical education teacher and West Point graduate, Coach Brian Wilson, inspired me to pursue an academy and helped me prepare for the candidate fitness exams. Chief Ryan Nicholls and Commander Keith Klemm, instructors for the ORHS NJROTC program, helped me develop as a leader. My participation in the NJROTC program solidified my interest in a military career. Dr. Deanna Pickel, my high school math teacher, challenged me to take harder classes and helped me achieve the ACT 30+ Club. My Air Force Academy mentor, Major General Richard Webber, USAF (Ret.), shared advice and encouragement throughout the process. Lastly, other teachers and community members helped by writing letters of recommendation and providing positive encouragement. My mom and dad were a big help too.”

Beatrice is excited for this opportunity to challenge herself and become an Air Force officer. She is looking forward to challenging coursework, living in Colorado, and becoming a member of the "Long Blue Line." She hopes that younger students will consider applying to the service academies and be inspired to follow their dreams.

Caden and Jamison Uptgraft have been accepted into the West Point Academy.
Caden and Jamison Uptgraft have been accepted into the West Point Academy.

Caden Uptgraft states that his decision to attend the U.S. Military Academy (USMA) was by far the hardest decision he has had to make.

“I was so humbled to receive an appointment to West Point, as well as a national four-year Army ROTC scholarship. I was completely torn between West Point and the University of Miami Florida. Ultimately, I felt that the opportunity presented at West Point was too incredible to turn down.”

Caden knows he will be pushed to the limit academically and physically. Recognizing that he has natural leadership skills, he believes that USMA will develop those skills so he will be the best soldier and leader that he can be. Caden is excited to serve our country and give back to this great nation that has given us so much.

He stated, “There is no greater honor than to lead America’s men and women into battle, in my humble opinion. I was completely taken aback by the amount of love and support shown by this community when my brother and I made our decision. I am so humbled and excited to begin this next chapter of my life.”

He attributes the influence of his parents and the incredible faculty of Oak Ridge High School, for preparing him for USMA.

He specifically thanks Michael Feuer, Ken Senter, Aaron Pickering, Tom Froning, Chantelle Stevens, Sheila Morton, and John Alexander, who inspired him every day. He adds a special thanks to Beth Estep and Garfield Adams for their continued support and their love for this school and community, as well as Coach Aaron Green and Coach Travis Free and their families for modeling accountability, respect, hard work, and love.

“They taught me so much not only about baseball and basketball, but about life (and) and I aspire to be the kind of man that they are.”

Caden expresses thanks to everyone in this community. He reflects that after spending years moving from state to state, he has found a home, and wishes to make his family, mentors, and community proud at West Point, added a friendly, “Go Army! Beat Navy!”

Jamison Uptgraft plans to major in political science and eventually become a lawyer, and potentially make a career out of the military in the footsteps of his father. He stated that his goals at West Point are to succeed academically, push himself to be more social, and be the best Christian and leader that he can be.

Jamison stated, “I had always been aware of (West Point’s) prowess and the impact it has on its graduates because my father and several key role models for me growing up were all graduates from West Point. Originally, I was determined to try something different than what my father had done for reasons I can’t quite understand myself. I knew that I wanted to serve in some capacity, but I was also awarded a national ROTC scholarship which is another award that I was honored to have received. I struggled to choose between these two different yet similar ways to serve in the army. My twin brother was in the same boat I was in, but we never discussed our leanings towards one or the other because we had to make this decision on our own regardless of what the other one chose. After about a week of consideration, my brother and I chose to accept our appointments to West Point. I was astonished at the amount of support that I received after making this decision from my entire community. I am so excited to serve my country and cannot wait to be challenged in every way possible to become the best man I know as I can be. Firstly, I would like to thank God because none of this would be possible without His continued guidance over my life. I would like to thank my parents and my sisters for the love and support they gave me after making this decision. I would also like to name a few teachers and staff at Oak Ridge High School who helped me achieve my dream of attending West Point.

"Mrs. Estep, Dr. Adams, Coach Green, Coach Scott, "Daddy" (Danny) Green, Mr. Senter, Mr. Froning, Mr. Pickering, Mr. Feuer, Dr. Morton, Mrs. Stevens, Mr. Tilson and Mr. Alexander, thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the motivation and determination you gave me to get where I am today."

Caden and Jamison are the sons of Amy and James Uptgraft II. Beatrice is the daughter of William and Beth Shea.

This article originally appeared on Oakridger: Three Oak Ridge grads appointed to service academies