19-04-2025
Springfield student receives early acceptance to U.S. Military Academy at West Point
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – In a little over two months, a senior at the Springfield Renaissance School, Damon Penna, will be heading to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
Penna will be heading to West Point on June 30, then begin seven weeks of boot camp. Throughout high school, he has been involved in a variety of activities to prepare him for this moment.
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'I'm very involved,' Penna said. 'NHS President, Student Council President, I do a bunch of stuff with our 'crew,' which is kind of like a Renaissance tradition. Outside of school, I'm part of three different sports, starts with soccer, then swimming, and volleyball.'
A bright future is ahead for this Springfield student turned cadet. West Point in New York is a highly selective U.S. military academy committed to turning cadets into Army officers.
'I have uncles in the army, but also just learning about U.S. history and learning about what the army has done for our country has influenced me,' Penna said.
A big part of Penna's life is service. He frequently volunteers with his grandparents after church.
'The sandwich ministry that we are a part of for our church is a weekly thing,' Penna said. 'We go to mass at 10:00 a.m., and right after we have our sandwich ministry, where we usually make around 400 sandwiches, then go to downtown Springfield to pass them out.'
Penna said that his advice to underclassmen is to continue working hard and to follow your passion.
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