9 students appointed to military schools by Dayton Congressman at Dragons baseball game

DAYTON — For the first time, over half a dozen local high school students were appointed to different military schools at a Dayton Dragons game.

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As reported on News Center 7 at 11:00, the Dragons honored the Ohio 10^th Congressional District Service Academy Appointees as part of the Celebrate Dayton program during Saturday’s game against Lake County.

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Dayton Congressman Mike Turner selected these nine students to receive congressional nominations.

News Center 7’s Malik Patterson said each student had their name called.

They also had their current high school, and along with the academy, they were going to.

Each student who gets nominated has shown outstanding abilities in and outside the classroom.

“There’s nothing more honorable and noble than wanting to risk your own life to save and keep others safe and to serve your nation,” he said.

Turner told our news crew that some members of Congress are lucky to even get one.

“It’s unusual, by the way, for a community to get this many nominations frequently. Members of Congress get perhaps even just one to the service academies, and I want to say that that really is a testament to our community,” he said.

Patterson said not only was it a new high, but it also marked the first time that it had been done in front of such a large audience.

This was thanks to Dayton Dragons general manager Bob Murphy.

Patterson asked the students why they decided to do this.

“I always wanted to go into the Air Force a little bit. I’ve seen a lot of successful men and women around the area, so I’ve always been driven to serve,” Aiden Allen.

Allen attended Beavercreek High School and was nominated to the U.S. Air Force Academy.

Margaret Bush from Chaminade High School said that she came from a long line of family who served.

“My grandfather listed in the Air Force, my dad went to the Air Force Academy, my sister is in the Space Force, and my brother-in-law is in the Air Force, so they were a big part of my decision,” she told Patterson.

She was nominated to the U.S. Military Academy.

Patterson said that some of them also picked out what they want to do.

“I’m studying meteorology when I go to the Air Force Academy, and then hopefully I’ll be a qualified pilot, and then I’ll be able to become an Air Force pilot,” said Laney Bottemiller, from Bellbrook High School.

The other nominations are: