GULF SHORES, Ala. — Joanna Mercer takes her job seriously as the junior and senior guidance counselor at Gulf Shores High School.  So much so that she not only tries to help guide students into the appropriate post-secondary education experience, but she often goes and checks out these opportunities herself.

Now working at her third high school in 15 years, Mercer says it is important, as a counselor, to be aware of every opportunity for post-secondary education that might be a possibility for her students.

“I just believe it is important to have a broad knowledge base of as many of the possibilities that are out there for our students as I can,” Mercer said. “Whether it is one of the military academies or any of the different colleges across the country. I want to help the students make a selection that will be the right fit for them.

Visiting Air Force Academy

Recently, Mercer flew out to Colorado Springs, Colo. to the Air Force Academy to see what life would be like and what educational opportunities would be in store for a prospective student.  

A couple of times each year, the academies will host a group of educators, normally during the winter months.

As expected, Mercer quickly realized that not just anyone can attend the Air Force Academy.

“You are invited to attend the Air Force Academy,” Mercer explained. “You can be nominated several different ways. You can get a presidential nomination, a congressional nomination, and there are some Air Force Junior ROTC programs that might support a nomination as well.”

After a student’s credentials are evaluated, followed by an interview process, a physical examination, and a seemingly endless application process which begins the summer after their junior year, then a student is possibly accepted into the Air Force Academy.

“The deadline for students to go through the process is Dec. 1 of their senior year and they usually will find out in the spring if they have been selected as a cadet,” Mercer said.

Mercer said the Academy accepts a class of 1,200 students each year who enter the Academy on a four-year program, after which they are commissioned into the armed forces.

“They will get their career field assigned to them during their junior year at the Academy, and over half of them usually apply to flight school,” Mercer said.

More than 100 of the students in each class are normally selected for graduate school.

According to Mercer, Gulf Shores High School has never had a student enroll into a military academy and she hopes to change that.

“Our school does offer a Navy ROTC program, but so far none of our students have chosen to move on to a military academy,” she said.

Mercer said she has had a student seeking an ROTC scholarship, which the military offers, but the scholarship does not require the student to enroll in one of the military academies.

Life at the Academy

Mercer was quick to point out that life as a college student at a military academy is not for everyone, and is nothing like one might experience on a regular college campus.

“While I was visiting, I went to a couple of classes with a student who is from Daphne. When you walk around the Air Force Academy it is obvious that you are not on a traditional college campus,” Mercer explained. “They are all in uniform, there is no horsing around, there is no funny stuff going on in the halls, it was very serious, almost like they were at a job or a business.”

Mercer said all students at the Academy were expected to be on their best behavior and professional wherever they were on campus.

“It was a very controlled environment, but the academies all claim that they are building leaders of character, so this is what is expected of them,” she said.

Sharing her

experience

Imparting the learning experience and knowledge of what she witnessed is something Mercer wants to share with the juniors at GSHS.

“All of our seniors have already decided what they want to do, but many of our juniors are still looking around, and I want to encourage some of our students to consider this type of post-secondary education,” she said.

A couple of years ago, Mercer had a similar experience, visiting the Naval Academy, and hopes to visit the Coast Guard Academy next summer.

“I was thinking that the Coast Guard Academy might appeal more to the kids in this area,” Mercer said. “My goal is to help our students get into one of the military academies if that is the life that they want.  It really doesn’t matter to me which branch they choose.”