From The Bridge-Issue 4

What began in 1995 as a group of committed donors has turned into a leading group of supporters who inspire through action and give back to the Academy—they are President’s Circle.

Accomplished in their fields, the members of this premier giving society are the keepers of the spirit of philanthropy, which is fundamental to the Academy’s excellence in education, facilities, athletics and opportunities.

We are proud of our Foundation’s history, but also the history of President’s Circle which supports mission-critical activities for our Foundation—and has been doing so from the very beginning. In addition, President’s Circle provides essential resources for the Academy to meet emergent institutional needs and the creation of innovative new programs.

As we celebrate the history of our Foundation, we must also highlight the significance of President’s Circle, which is so much more than a simple recognition society. The leadership of these members enables many of the benefits and services available to the wider Alumni Association & Foundation community. As a thank you, President’s Circle donors receive a breadth of donor courtesies.

“I was raised in a small town, in North Louisiana. My parents were both involved in our community as volunteers and inspired me to always give back. I have been blessed in my life, and most of that I attribute to my upbringing and the time I spent at USNA. Leahray and I hope to be able to give back to USNA with our time and our resources on into the future,” John Wroten ’65 said.

To recognize our Foundation’s 25-year history, we are excited to share an updated list of donor courtesies for all President’s Circle members and unveil our new giving levels. Our President’s Circle Associate level includes many offerings including an invitation to our time-honored tradition of welcoming all PC members to our official President’s Circle Weekend each year. This level includes a special offering for our Young Alumni and serves as the foundation level for our PC giving experience.

Our other revisions include updates to the Worden Associate level, Luce Associate and Lejeune Associate level.

Each serve as building blocks for involvement for our PC donors, each with their own exclusive courtesies, tailored to our committed donors. More information about the specific offerings and updates can be found on our President’s Circle webpage.

As we look ahead to what is next, we are guided by the Naval Academy’s 2030 Strategic Plan that will sustain and elevate existing programs, create new models of funding the future of academic, athletic, and leadership programs, and create new facilities that will provide state-of-the-art spaces for faculty, staff, coaches, and midshipmen.

Whether through data science, project-based learning with immediate real-world applications, or foreign area studies to understand the cultures and languages of our allies and adversaries around the globe, we are continually driven by the question—how can we best serve the Yard, the professors and staff, the alumni, and especially our Brigade of Midshipmen?

The Office of Admissions aims to admit a talented Brigade of Midshipmen, representing the best and brightest of today’s youth in the country. The INSPIRE Program helps reach those who might not have heard of the Academy nor have access to the resources necessary to tour, apply and attend.

The Program promotes admissions excellence while engaging early with qualified candidates from traditionally underrepresented populations including African American, Hispanic/Latino and Native American populations.

“We are very excited about the long-term possibilities for the INSPIRE program. Over the course of the last two years, the program has inspired students to attend USNA,” said Bruce Latta, USNA Dean of Admissions. “They have consistently completed their applications for admission at a nearly 90% rate, versus an overall rate of about 32% for recent incoming classes, and nearly 100% have completed applications to attend Summer Seminar. Those students receiving offers of appointment to USNA, or our preparatory programs, accept at nearly 10% above our incoming class averages.”

Launched in the fall of 2021—first as a test program—the INSPIRE Program has already had an impact on improving the completion rate of applications and competing with today's elite institutions for highly qualified individuals from underrepresented groups.

The Program does so much more than just aim to identify new audiences. At its core, the INSPIRE Program offers parents and students an opportunity to visit Annapolis, understand the uniqueness of the Academy, and engage in conversations with faculty and students. By providing direct access to the Yard, prospective students are given the chance to see midshipmen and envision their own future.

Today, improved application trends and diversity rates have risen by just over 85 percent, with almost 39 percent of students from a minority or traditionally underrepresented population at the Academy, making our current Brigade the most diverse in the Academy’s history.

At the U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association and Foundation, we connect daily with alumni and supporters of the Academy and understand the importance of engaging with a diverse range of students—past and present. By supporting the Academy, we at the Foundation strive to ensure our midshipmen receive the very best education and are prepared for the challenges that await upon graduation.

We know the INSPIRE Program does so much more than simply identify prospective students and know that this Program exists solely because of those who see the value and help fund its existence.

Jim Stallings ’78 was motivated to support the INSPIRE Program because of what it brings to potential students, which he says is a similar feeling to how he became a midshipman.

As a child, Stallings’ father bought him a World Book Encyclopedia. While browsing through the pages, he came across a section about the US military with a photograph of the Naval Academy. Stallings was instantly intrigued.

“The one that just struck me was the photo of the midshipmen at the Academy, and they were in formation out on Warden Field and the gallantry. I think I was 12 years old, and I decided that’s what I want to do,” Stallings said.

He found himself looking back at that encyclopedia each week, visualizing himself on the field and in formation for a parade.

Years later when the Academy called and asked if he would be willing to inspire potential students to pursue their college education as midshipmen, he saw the INSPIRE Program as the perfect solution.

Stallings credits his experience as a midshipman for teaching him to be resilient both at the Academy, but also in his career and personal life after military service.

“The thing I learned is to not quit—to persist,” Stalling said. “The fancy word is resilience. Being able to take the hits, take the failures, the challenges and deal with them. And not let them turn you back. That’s really it. That’s been the story of my life.”

Persistence, resiliency and refusing to give up are at the heart of who Stallings is, in part because of his time at the Academy and the lessons he took as a midshipman, and his ability to apply those lessons to his life moving forward.

“In the middle of that, you’re going to achieve a lot,” Stallings said. “The winner is the one most resilient.”

The USNA Capstone Day is an event that showcases student projects and presentations at the United States Naval Academy. It typically features oral project presentations in the morning followed by an afternoon poster session, allowing students to demonstrate their work and research. For more details, you can visit the official USNA Capstone Day page. Watch the video from 2024.