Have you ever thought about what it might be like to leave everything you’ve ever known and fly halfway across the country for military training? Senior Bill Long certainly has. In a couple months, he will travel to New York to attend U.S. Military Academy West Point, where he plans on  majoring in aerospace engineering while taking part in the school’s traditional military training.

This idea first struck Long when he went to a summer camp called “Army Navy Academy.” This no-phone camp consisted of two weeks of working out, studying, and surfing, giving Long insight into the military experience.    

“Those two weeks felt like half a year to me because there was nothing to distract us, and all of us were facing the challenges together,” Long said. “It was a lot of fun.”

One of Long’s motivating factors to attend a military academy was his desire to push himself to try something out-of-the-ordinary, a career his family members have never explored.

“I always wanted to get out of my shell and do something that I’ve never done before, especially since I live in the Bay Area bubble, and it’s kind of just the same thing over and over,” Long said.

In the future, Long hopes to become an astronaut. Since most astronauts have historically come from military service, he believes West Point is the perfect path for him.

“When I was younger, I wanted to be an explorer to sail the seven seas and do all that stuff, but there’s not much left to explore on Earth,” Long said.

Striving toward a mindset of pushing students to their limits, West Point prides itself in its intense programs.

“They have this funny saying where they want you to spend 50% of your time on academics, 50% of your time on physical stuff, 50% of your time on developing a character,” Long said. “And for sleep, you just gotta figure that out yourself.”

As high school comes to a close, Long looks forward to immersing himself in the West Point culture this summer.

“I’m going to boot camp on June 29, and I’m gonna shave my head off, and we’re gonna do six weeks of just pain and torture,” Long said.

Although Long’s plan to attend West Point Academy is set now, it wasn’t an easy decision, as his parents had more traditional college plans for him in mind. However, Long knew the conventional path wasn’t right for him and stayed persistent on following his dream.

“I want to do it my way, and I want to take an adventurous path to do stuff that I’m not comfortable doing and kind of grow into myself a little more,” Long said.