Nate W. Bramwell, 17, a senior at West Plains High School, has received and accepted a fully qualified offer of appointment to the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. Bramwell, the son of Eric and Bethany Bramwell of Pomona, Mo., received congressional nominations to the Academy from both U. S. Senator Roy Blunt and U.S. Representative Jason Smith.
Applying to any of the five service academies is an intense and arduous process in which a nomination, usually from a Member of Congress, must be applied for and obtained and a rigorous physical test must be passed, in addition to the academic requirements of applying to college, including letters of recommendation, transcripts, multiple essays, and SAT scores.
Each year approximately 1,200 candidates are selected for the U.S. Naval Academy’s “Plebe” or freshman class. Last year, the Naval Academy received over 16,000 applications for the Class of 2023 and the acceptance rate was 7.2%. All students, known as midshipmen, attending the Naval Academy do so on a full scholarship including 100% tuition, room and board, medical and dental care costs.
“I believe it was the first time that I met Nate, he told me his goal post high school was an appointment to the United States Naval Academy,” says high school guidance counselor Raegan Fox. “He has never once wavered from this goal. Nate is the definition of hard work pays off. Hearing of his appointment is definitely one of those moments I will never forget, he has worked so hard and has so much to be proud of. The commitment and dedication Nate has shown will continue to inspire me and other Zizzer students in the future.“
Bramwell has maintained a 4.0 grade-point average taking honors, advanced placement, and Project Lead the Way (PLTW) classes. He is a member of the National Honor Society, National Beta Club, and Student Council. He has served as Public Relations Officer, Student Information Officer, on the Comprehensive School Improvement (CSIP) Technology Action Team, and currently as the student body president. He has competed in Speech and Debate and swimming. He is an all-state, honorable mention, 4-year varsity letterman in swimming and the current school record holder in the 100-yard butterfly event.
Bramwell comes from a military family. His father, Eric Bramwell is a combat veteran who served in the 1st Marine Corps Division, 3rd Amphibious Assault Battalion in Desert Storm, Desert Shield, and Operation Restore Hope in Somalia. He served as an amphibious assault vehicle crew chief and later as a nuclear, biological, and chemical warfare instructor and a combat swim instructor for the Marine Corps. He earned the Meritorious Mast twice and the Navy Achievement Medal.
N. Bramwell’s maternal grandfather, the late Dr. Jim Lybyer, DVM, of Mountain Grove, Mo., served in the Air Force as a pilot and for a time as the staff veterinarian at Blytheville Air Force base in Arkansas. Bramwell’s paternal grandfather, the late Harry E. Bramwell of Mountain Grove, Mo., served as a machinist in the Navy, assigned to the submarine tender vessel Proteus in Scotland from 1961-63. N. Bramwell’s maternal great-grandfather, Harold Lawrence of Jefferson, Tx., served in the Army Air Corps as an aircraft crew chief in World War II. Lawrence was stationed in the Philippines and taken prisoner of war in 1942. He survived the Bataan “Death March”, then three years as a P.O.W. in Japan, returning to service after the war, and retiring from the Air Force in 1963 as a Chief Master Sergeant.
“As long as I can remember, I have been intent on serving in the military,” says Bramwell. “I am humbled and honored by this appointment. The mission of U.S. Naval Academy is to imbue future leaders with the “highest ideals of duty, honor, and loyalty” to in turn “assume the highest responsibilities of command, citizenship, and government.” Attending the school that’s primary objective is to create the best Naval and Marine Corps Officers will immeasurably enhance my service to the Marine Corps and to my country.”
Bramwell attended the Naval Academy Summer Seminar in Annapolis last year, which further motivated him to achieve the goal of receiving an appointment to the Class of 2024. He will have a 6-year minimum commitment to the Marine Corps after graduation. He plans to major in aerospace engineering and, after earning his bachelors of science, will be commissioned into the United States Marine Corps as a second lieutenant. He plans, ultimately, to attend flight training and earn his Wings of Gold as a Marine Corps fixed-wing pilot. Bramwell ships out to Annapolis, MD in June to begin his Plebe training activities.
