In a live video posted to Facebook on Monday, Republican U.S. Rep. Mark Walker notified Lee County High School senior Tyler Profio that she’d been accepted to the U.S. Naval Academy. Watch below:
In the video, Walker notes that the college’s review board was overwhelmingly impressed with Profio throughout the application process and asked what had driven her to succeed.
“I just want to be the best version of me that I can and contribute to my community in the best way I can, and so I keep pushing myself to do that,” she said.
Less than a year ago, Profio was featured in the Lee County Schools’ Inspired magazine for being named an “Iron Woman” after making a perfect score on the Army’s physical fitness test more than once. Later that year, she attended the Naval Academy’s summer seminar.
From that article:
The academy’s summer program is intense – it’s roughly a week of on-campus living with daily physical training, as well as various leadership development and other activities. Not exactly the same way other rising seniors plan to spend their summers, in other words. Profio, though, is excited – not just for the experience, but also for what it’ll offer her in terms of a career path.
“I definitely want to do something with the military when I graduate, but I’m not sure what yet,” she said. “I’m looking at the Navy right now.”
For her part, though, Profio can’t say enough about what the school’s JROTC program and the Raiders team has done not only for her but for all of its members.
“It’s not just about me, it’s about everyone here,” she said. “To have been able to work with so many driven people is so motivating. It really is like a family – we all support each other and keep each other accountable. I just love them to death.”