Brandon Fiordelisi Eyes Career
as Naval Officer
Brandon Fiordelisi has been eyeing a career as a naval officer since he was a freshman. Once the Huntington High School senior sets a goal, he pursues it with steadfast resolve. He took a giant step toward that end by accepting a four-year ROTC scholarship offer from the Department of the Navy, in conjunction with the Naval Service Training Command Officer Development Division in Pensacola, Florida.
Mr. Fiordelisi's scholarship was awarded through a highly competitive national selection process. The scholarships were created to educate and train qualified young men and women for leadership positions in the increasingly technical US Armed Forces, according to a program description. Upon graduation, midshipmen are commissioned as officers.
The New York City consortium that Mr. Fiordelisi chose to participate in is located at SUNY Maritime College in The Bronx. The Huntington senior plans to study facilities engineering. The NYC consortium is a highly regarded unit that trains men and women who are in the program and attending Maritime as well as Fordham and Columbia Universities.
Mr. Fiordelisi plans to join the Regiment of Cadets at Maritime, besides training with his naval unit. His demanding schedule will require additional studies in naval science and various leadership courses. He's also considering joining the football and crew teams.
Following his freshman year, Mr. Fiordelisi will travel to either Fairfax, Virginia or San Diego, California for more specialized schooling and training during the summer months. The future officer intends to concentrate his studies in the areas that lead to becoming a naval flight officer or a surface warfare officer.
After securing a pair of coveted nominations to the United States Naval Academy from Congressman Steve Israel and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand earlier this year, Mr. Fiordelisi was deferred. With an acceptance rate of just seven percent, the USNA is becoming known for requiring at least one or two years of preparatory schooling before awarding an appointment. As the US military increasingly evolves into a cutting edge force, officers must have even more technical knowledge.
Mr. Fiordelisi has dogged determination, so he intends to apply to the USNA a second time, hoping to be accepted for membership in the Class of 2017. In the meantime, he will pursue the ROTC program at Maritime College.
"Completing four years of schooling and training at Maritime will allow me to wind up in exactly the same place as I would have with the Academy, as a commissioned naval officer with an engineering degree," Mr. Fiordelisi said. "After all, the mission has always been the commission!"
As the Huntington senior enters his last weeks of high school, teachers, coaches and classmates are convinced that Mr. Fiordelisi's strong character and willingness to work hard will lead to success in any endeavor the teenager decides to pursue. His smile will be missed around the school along with the positive attitude and energy he brought to classrooms, hallways and playing fields.