In contemporary America, how many 18-year-olds do you meet who are ready and willing to be relentlessly tested—intellectually, physically and morally? How many are prepared to forgo all the pleasantries of university life? Think about it.
In your day-to-day world, how many young people do you encounter who readily sacrifice their own desires and ambitions for the good of their nation?
They are a rare breed, but at the Naval Academy…you’ll find about 4,400. They are the Brigade of Midshipmen.
And now, the U.S. Naval Academy Foundation has announced a fundraising campaign to support the programs and initiatives helping to shape those extraordinary individuals—the young men and women who will be our next generation of Navy and Marine Corps officers.
The campaign has already raised more than $386 million from a core group of dedicated lead donors to support initiatives including the Academy’s Center for Cyber Security Studies, the Stockdale Center for Ethical Leadership and related programs, distinguished visiting professorships and the continuing renovation and expansion of Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.
This next phase of the campaign strives to expand the campaign’s reach and increase awareness of its importance to the entire alumni and friend community and attract particularly significant support for four key areas: the Midshipmen Activities Fund, admissions excellence, athletic excellence, the future Naval Academy Alumni Association and Foundation Center and the unrestricted Naval Academy Fund.
The government funds the Academy’s core operations and training, but it is those who are inspired by the Academy’s mission who fuel its greatness. Years from now, we want to look back on this moment and know we changed the course of history—not only for the Academy, but for the safety and security of our nation and the world. We want to fund the next generation of warriors who will fight on a front we have never seen before. We want to fund the development of those rare individuals we all wish the world had more of—an uncommon corps of leaders on whose honor, intelligence, physical prowess and preparedness this nation and our world depend.