Jones High School Administration, Faculty and Staff would like to express our pride in Layna Solorzano. Layna has made the decision to go through the application and nomination process to get into the United States Military Academy at West Point. This process is very daunting and challenging and a very limited number of applicants receive nomination and get admitted to our Military Academies.
Layna has to apply and be accepted for admissions to the Military Academy and in addition receive a Congressional Nomination to attend the Academy. In order to meet admissions requirements, Layna has to have taken a rigorous course load throughout high school, maintained a high GPA and class rank. In addition, she has to have an ACT score above a 24. Applicants have to make a 28 or better on the math portion and a 31 or better on the reading portion. Another unique requirement about Academy admissions is that Layna must pass basic physical test requirements which include performing a set number of situps, pushups, and pullups. She will also have run a mile in set time. In addition to these requirements, the applicant will be put through a variety of interviews.
The other major difference in this college application process that is different from all other colleges is the nomination process. Layna will have to complete an application and essay process with Senator Inhoffe and Senator Lankford. She will also have to submit an application and essay to Congresswoman Horn’s office. In addition to being accepted for admissions to the Academy one of these Congressional Officers will have to grant her a nomination to attend the Military Academy. This is also a very grueling process that includes a variety of interviews. The average ACT score for students being granted a Congressional nomination out of Congressional District 5 is a 30.
After securing a nomination Layna will be put into a pool of roughly 11,000 applicants. Of those 11,000 approximately 1,400 will receive acceptance into the program. If Layna gets accepted and receives a nomination she will receive a four year education in the field of Engineering at no cost. Upon graduation, she will have an Engineering degree, be an Officer in the United States Army and have commitment to serve in the Army for at least six years.
It takes a special kind of person to put themselves through this process with the risk of not getting in being great. Layna has been striving and working towards this moment before she got to high school.
Although Layna has only been at Jones for her senior year, she has jumped in full force and is a Longhorn through and through. Transitions from high school to high school is a difficult task, but even more daunting for Layna because she started the application process with the United States Military Academy in the Spring of her Junior Year. Layna sought our school officials out over the summer and had lengthy conversations to ensure a seamless transition and to make sure nothing in her application was dropped.
Layna worked with the counselor to set up a very rigorous schedule in her senior year at Jones. She is taking three AP classes and is running Cross-Country and Track for Jones High School. She has come in and truly become a part of our Longhorn family.
In addition to her academic and athletic endeavors, Layna has maintained employment and been involved in numerous extracurricular activities. She has also been involved with the National Honor Society and Spanish Club. Layna has also accumulated over 50 hours of community service through the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigations, Day of the Dead Parade and Academic Decathlon. Layna is also bilingual, being fluent in both Spanish and English languages. In addition, she has also been involved in flight school and has completed solo flights and is a student pilot.
When asked why she is going through this process, Layna said, “My father was in the Army, and I want to follow in his footsteps and live a life of service in the United States Army. My hope is to fly in the Army.”
#ITSAGREATDAYTOBEALONGHORN #LONGHORNPROUD
The Jones Journal 