Siloam youth bound for Naval Academy
Posted on Sunday, January 20, 2008
Take heed not to interrupt 17-yearold Jordan Roach when he’s hovering over a plate of his mother’s homemade mashed potatoes. Respond quickly when he asks you to pass the gravy boat. And don’t be shocked to see him reach into the bread basket multiple times.
Roach will spend the next five months memorizing the taste and comfort of homestyle cooking.
Two months following his 18 th birthday, the Siloam Springs homeschooled student will fly to Annapolis, Md., where he will be sworn in June 27 as a member of the Class of 2012 at the United States Naval Academy.
The induction will serve as a personal dedication to the next four years of Roach’s life, during which he will submit to a rigorous military regime, intense academic coursework and a meticulously run schedule. Acceptance
Christmas Eve had a whole new meaning for Roach and his family. Sitting under the tree, nestled between gifts, was a letter of acceptance from the United States Naval Academy.
“ The letter came that day and Jordan’s dad, John, wasn’t home from work yet so we decided to wait to open it, ” said Jordan’s mother, Dawn Roach. “ It certainly made Christmas nice — we had so much to celebrate. ”
Roach, who claimed he was like many other 17-year-olds in that he was hedging on what to do with his life, said that the letter ended his period of worry.
“ I was pretty happy when I received it, ” he said. “ I had prayed for an obvious answer about what to do, and there it was. ”
Roach said one of his father’s colleagues helped get the ball rolling on his application to the military academy. During the summer Roach attended a weeklong session at the academy to get a feel for the experience.
“ They give you a taste of what you’ll go through over the summer but they don’t turn up the heat, ” he said. “ Of course, I have a bit of nervousness and anxiety but I know that this is the direction I’m supposed to be following. ”
Roach returned from camp and applied for placement in the upcoming class.
U. S. Rep. John Boozman, who appointed him, said Roach is well qualified for the academy.
“ I am very proud to appoint a person of Jordan’s caliber to the Naval Academy, ” wrote Boozman in a press release. “ I am extremely proud that we have such an exemplary group of young people who have succeeded in the 3 rd District and compete yearly for these appointments. I offer Jordan my best wishes, and my heartfelt thanks for his commitment to serve our country as future officer in our nation’s military. ” A scholar
Roach scored a 33 on the ACT college entrance exam and maintained excellent grades throughout his school career, said his mother, who admitted that, like any other student, her son required occasional nudges to study and infrequent reprimands for distraction. He is also a National Merit semi-finalist.
“ He’s a good student and he certainly digests information well so I’m not that worried about him academically, ” Dawn Roach said. “ He has an incredible understanding of math and science.
Roach graduated from high school last year and, in anticipation of college, kept his mind sharp by studying courses at home such as calculus and Mandarin Chinese.
“ Calculus isn’t really something you want to stray from for long if you’re going to have to study it again, ” he said.
Keeping in shape is an absolute life priority, Roach said, which is the reason he pursues competitive swimming so aggressively. As a competitive swimmer he participates in local, regional and national swimming meets.
In recent years he has traveled to St. Louis, Little Rock and Oklahoma City with other club team members for competitions.
He is preparing to begin training with a University of Arkansas team, the Aqua Hogs.
“ I started swimming about four years ago, ” Roach said. “ I didn’t really even know that it was my thing until my parents got me into it. I started as part of a yearround program with other homeschooled students. ”
Roach hopes to be a walk-on with the Navy swim team once he arrives at the academy. He will have to try out and said that he is realistic about how difficult it will be to make the team.
“ You really have to be the best of the best, ” he said. Into the service
Roach will share a class with 1, 200 to 1, 400 other students. He said that his class rank, grade point average, military knowledge and athleticism will all factor into his placement following graduation.
He has agreed to a five-year military commitment after graduation. Positions are chosen in order of class rank. He has deemed Navy SEALS as his most-desired placement.
“ There are only 16 SEALS slots for my class, which makes them coveted and really hard to get. Those positions go really fast, ” said Roach. “ I would also be happy with Marines or surface warfare. ”
His mother said the family is actively looking at their calendars to orchestrate vacations and holidays around her son’s school schedule.
Both his younger brother and sister agreed that whether it’s flying Jordan home or going to Maryland for breaks, it’s extremely important to have the family together as much as their brother’s schedule will allow.
“ We have a vacation planned in May, ” Dawn Roach said. “ I asked Jordan where he wanted to go and he requested Colorado to see the mountains. He’ll be near beaches and sand for the next four years so he wanted a change in scenery while he still has the chance. ”
Dawn Roach said that Jordan’s leaving for the Naval Academy is not unlike any other family sending their child off to college.
He will be missed as a son, brother, and occasional chauffeur to his siblings. For now, at least until June, Roach will enjoy the simple things and prepare for the rest of his life.
“ I’m enjoying home-cooked food, not being screamed at and being able to wake up after 5 a. m., ” he said. “ I’m ready to go and am experiencing a natural amount of anxiety. ”
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