A member of this year’s Routt Catholic Senior class is one of Congressman Darin LaHood’s Service Academy Nominees for 2021.
Victoria Fellhauer of Jacksonville is one of 21 High School Students to be named by LaHood for potential appointment in U.S. Service Academies. Fellhauer who goes by Tori was one of only three of the group to be nominated for more than one academy.
Fellhauer was nominated for possible acceptance to both the U.S. Naval Academy, and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Fellhauer says she’s been inspired by her two Grandfather’s who both are military veterans.
“It’s something I’ve always wanted to do. I’ve wanted to join the military since I was about in the fifth grade. I’ve always felt a strong calling to want to serve my country and want to give back, I can’t put another reason behind it besides that. When I looked into the different ways I could join the military, I decided that I think the best way for me was to go to college and become an officer.
The more I looked into things the more I decided that going to a service academy, if I could get in, would be the best way for me to do so. The intense leadership training, the fact that you’re in a military environment for the whole four years. It gives you a step up from any other way to do it.
You get a lot more leadership and military experience in those four years than you would if you went to college and did ROTC or if you went to officer candidate school after college.”
Every academy nominee must pass an evaluation that is done by veterans and central and west-central Illinois leaders. Applicants must display the proper character traits, grade point average, extra-curricular activities, academic achievements, and more to be selected.
Routt High School Development Director Colleen Doyle says Tori is frequently at the top of Routt’s High Honor Rolls.
“If I may say, Tori is one of the students that makes me as well all the faculty and staff here at Routt love to do what we do. It’s students like her that know and who are pursuing their own dreams, but they’re serving to be a leader to the students around them. She’s just been an absolute joy to have around.”
Fellhauer says she is unsure exactly what field of study she wishes to pursue, but she is thinking of either some kind of engineering or legal studies. She says she is very grateful for the nomination and that opportunity to go to one of the academies, should she be accepted.
Fellhauer is a multi-sport student-athlete and currently serves as student body president, national honors society president, as well as a host of various other extra-curricular actives at Routt.
According to Congressman LaHood’s announcement, the final nominees will be chosen and notified of their admission in the coming four months.