Rep. Bynum nominates 23 Fifth District students to U.S. service academies; 6 are from Deschutes County

OREGON CITY, Ore. (KTVZ) – Rep. Janelle Bynum, D-Ore. announced Wednesday the nomination of 23 students in Oregon's Fifth Congressional District to the elite United States Service Academies, including six Deschutes County nominees.

Four retired veterans representing Naval, West Point, Air Force, and Merchant Marine Academies made up Bynum’s Service Academy Board. The board evaluated the applicants based on academic performance, extracurricular involvement, and character. 

“I am honored to nominate these outstanding young Oregonians to the United States Service Academies,” Bynum said in a news release. “Their commitment to service, academic achievement, and civil engagement is exactly what the Academies are all about.

"I’d also like to thank the Service Academy Board for investing their time, energy, and expertise into the nomination process. The nominees represent the very best of Oregon, and I am confident that they will make our district proud.”

The 2025 Service Academy Nominees are as follows:

Clackamas County: 

·         Cole Solari – Air Force Academy

·         Thomson Burch – Air Force Academy

·         Ryder Gray – Naval Academy

·         Wyatt Sturgeon – Air Force Academy

·         Logan Koelbel – Naval Academy

·         Derek Griffin – Air Force Academy

·         Claire Yates – Military Academy and Air Force Academy

·         Vivian Vogt – Naval Academy

·         Kruz Mogel – Air Force Academy

·         Kathryn Shurko – Merchant Marine Academy

·         Beckett Godfrey – Military Academy and Naval Academy

·         Matthew Wang – Air Force Academy and Naval Academy

·         Reese Wenker – Air Force Academy, Naval Academy, Military Academy

Deschutes County: 

·         Harrison Jennrich – Naval Academy

·         Keira Schroeder – Military Academy

·         Naomi Bennette – Naval Academy and Air Force Academy

·         West Abrams – Military Academy

·         Clara Rodrigues – Air Force Academy

·         Walter Petkun – Air Force Academy, Naval Academy, and Military Academy

Multnomah County:

·         Liam Flenniken – Air Force Academy

·         Sawyer Best – Merchant Marine Academy

·         Phoebe Fisher – Naval Academy, Air Force Academy, Military Academy

Marion County:

·         Ester Gorelik – Air Force Academy, Military Academy, and Naval Academy

You can read more about the Congressional Service Academy Nominations here and below.

The honor of attending a Service Academy comes with the obligation and commitment to serve in the military for a minimum of five years upon graduation.

Members of Congress may nominate candidates for appointment to four of the five U.S. service academies: U.S. Military Academy (USMA), West Point, NY; the U.S. Naval Academy (USNA), Annapolis, MD; the U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA), Colorado Springs, CO; and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA), Kings Point, NY. The fifth service academy, the U.S. Coast Guard Academy (USCGA), New London, CT, does not require a congressional nomination for appointment.