Murkowski nominates 7 Valley students for U.S. service academies

MAT-SU — Sen. Lisa Murkowski selected seven students from the Mat-Su Valley among a group of 34 Alaska high school seniors she is nominating for appointment to the U.S. military service academies for the class of 2018.

Nominees are selected based on their academic record, extracurricular activities and leadership capacity. Sen. Murkowski’s nominees will now compete against other candidates nationwide for a spot in the entering class. Though a congressional nomination to a service academy is an accomplishment within itself, it does not guarantee admission; service academies will make final decisions.

Nominated:

• Rebekah Diotte of Palmer, Brandon Williams of Wasilla and Douglas Kinsey of Talkeetna were nominated to the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.

• Natalie Lautrup of Palmer, Brandon Williams of Wasilla and Justin Chamblee of Palmer were nominated to the U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, Md.

• And Justin Chamblee of Palmer was nominated to the U.S. Military Academy, West Point, N.Y.