Diving in

WASILLA — David Kennedy sat at the kitchen table Friday evening, sitting alongside his mother, Janet, sorting through the invitations for his upcoming high school graduation.

When Kennedy, a Wasilla High School senior, hits the stage as a class valedictorian during the school’s commencement ceremony on May 14, it’ll mark the culmination of his years at Wasilla High.

But even more, it’ll represent his efforts and accomplishments during a high school career in which he worked tirelessly toward his ultimate goal, attending a United States military academy.

That goal was realized earlier this year when Kennedy was accepted by the U.S. Naval Academy.

Kennedy will not only attend the prestigious military institution in Annapolis, Md., but he will also compete on Navy’s Division I diving team.

And as Kennedy sorted through those graduation invitations on Friday, he couldn’t help but reflect.

“I’d be lying to say I wasn’t nervous or scared of what’s going to happen, but boy, I’m not going to hold anything back,” Kennedy said. “I’m really excited and glad that I’m in, and am going to get to see what happens.”

Kennedy certainly has not held anything back during his time at Wasilla High. He’s a multi-sport athlete who holds a 4.2 grade point average. He’s taken a number of advanced placement classes, and is in his second year of AP calculus. He’s the president of the Wasilla High School chapter of the National Honor Society and the Rotaract Club of the Mat-Su Valley.

He was an exchange student his freshman year and spent 11 months living in Mexico. He and his family have also hosted nine exchange students from a half-dozen different countries.

He’s one of the top prep divers in the Alaska and finished third state meet as a senior.

He’s a varsity wrestler and is currently running in the distance events as part of the WHS track and field team.

Needless to say, Kennedy stays pretty busy.

“I haven’t had a whole lot of free time in my high school life,” Kennedy said. “I probably haven’t slept in on weekends in a very long time.”

But Kennedy said there are absolutely not regrets about the rigorous schedule he’s endured for the last four years. Every sport he competed in, every class he enrolled in, every moment during his time at Wasilla High was in preparation for the goal of attending a military academy, a goal he will realize when he reports for induction day on July 1.

“It took a lot of planning,” said Kennedy, who hopes to become a fighter pilot during his time with the Navy. “All four years of high school went to planning for the academy.”

Kennedy credits his parents, Janet and Dan, for their role in helping him achieve his goals.

“My dad’s been a great help, and my mom, both of them pushing me,” Kennedy said.

He considers himself a very goal-oriented person, Kennedy said.

“I’ve been setting goals all my life, with the help of my dad,” Kennedy said. “What I wanted to do in my life, which was go to the academy.”

Kennedy met many of his smaller goals en route to becoming a part of the Naval Academy. He was a standout in youth gymnastics for much of his life and has several state titles to his credit, he became one of the top divers in the state despite not joining the WHS swim and dive team until his sophomore year and he will finish his high school career earning an A in every class he was enrolled in.

Kennedy said he feels the work he put in during his time at WHS has helped him prepare for what is ahead at the Naval Academy.

“When I started researching (the academy), I found it would take a large mental toll on me, but also a physical toll on me,” he said.

But Kennedy is prepared for the challenge.

Kennedy’s desire to attend a military academy dates back long before he ever walked through the doors of WHS.

“It’s been my goal to fly a fighter jet since the sixth grade,” Kennedy said. “Ever since I started watching the air shows at Elmendorf Air Force Base.”

Kennedy actually first set his sights on the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., but after a trip to Annapolis, Kennedy had a change of heart.

“Going to the Air Force Academy had been my goal since the sixth grade,” Kennedy said. “But two to three years ago I started looking into the Naval Academy also as an alternative. But it wasn’t until I actually went there for what they call a summer seminar program that I saw what it was really like there. I loved it, that’s when it was switched to priority No. 1.”

Kennedy had been planning for years and started the official application process as a junior.

“It’s a lot more extensive than any other college application,” Kennedy said.

The requirements for application are split into different sections. There’s the education requirements, a physical test of strength and endurance, and applicants need to take a medical examination.

Students interested in attending a military academy also need a congressional nomination. Kennedy received two, one each from U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski and U.S. Rep. Don Young.

Kennedy will start his time in the academy as part of the plebe program, sort of a basic training for first-year students.

“It’s kind of an introduction to military life,” Kennedy said of the six-week program that comes before the academic year.

Kennedy will be considered a “plebe” for his first year, and once the school year starts, Kennedy will join the Midshipmen diving team.

“Walking on to a varsity sport, I will not be just with the plebes the entire time, I’m also with the team,” he said. “I think that’ll make my first year a lot easier. Basically (as a plebe), you’re on the bottom rung of the totem pole.”

Kennedy will not be the only one experiencing military life for the first time next year. He was proud to say his best friend, Frank Adkins, another WHS senior, will attend the Air Force Academy next year.

“It was the greatest thing when I found out he got accepted also,” Kennedy said. “We’re both going to an academy.”

Kennedy said he and Adkins spent a great deal of time together preparing for application process.

Now, Kennedy can look back at his work with pride and look forward to his life with the U.S. Navy with enthusiasm.

“I think I’ve tried my best,” Kennedy said. “And I’m glad I’ve succeeded.”

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.