THE INSPIRE PROGRAM CONTINUES TO . . . INSPIRE

Still in its infancy, the U.S. Naval Academy INSPIRE Program brings together prospective midshipmen from around the country with the goal of identifying and expanding the range of candidates prepared to meet the academic, athletic and leadership rigors of the Academy.

The Office of Admissions aims to admit a talented Brigade of Midshipmen, representing the best and brightest of today’s youth in the country. The INSPIRE Program helps reach those who might not have heard of the Academy nor have access to the resources necessary to tour, apply and attend.

The Program promotes admissions excellence while engaging early with qualified candidates from traditionally underrepresented populations including African American, Hispanic/Latino and Native American populations.

“We are very excited about the long-term possibilities for the INSPIRE program. Over the course of the last two years, the program has inspired students to attend USNA,” said Bruce Latta, USNA Dean of Admissions. “They have consistently completed their applications for admission at a nearly 90% rate, versus an overall rate of about 32% for recent incoming classes, and nearly 100% have completed applications to attend Summer Seminar. Those students receiving offers of appointment to USNA, or our preparatory programs, accept at nearly 10% above our incoming class averages.”

Launched in the fall of 2021—first as a test program—the INSPIRE Program has already had an impact on improving the completion rate of applications and competing with today's elite institutions for highly qualified individuals from underrepresented groups.

The Program does so much more than just aim to identify new audiences. At its core, the INSPIRE Program offers parents and students an opportunity to visit Annapolis, understand the uniqueness of the Academy, and engage in conversations with faculty and students. By providing direct access to the Yard, prospective students are given the chance to see midshipmen and envision their own future.

Today, improved application trends and diversity rates have risen by just over 85 percent, with almost 39 percent of students from a minority or traditionally underrepresented population at the Academy, making our current Brigade the most diverse in the Academy’s history.

At the U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association and Foundation, we connect daily with alumni and supporters of the Academy and understand the importance of engaging with a diverse range of students—past and present. By supporting the Academy, we at the Foundation strive to ensure our midshipmen receive the very best education and are prepared for the challenges that await upon graduation.

We know the INSPIRE Program does so much more than simply identify prospective students and know that this Program exists solely because of those who see the value and help fund its existence.

Jim Stallings ’78 was motivated to support the INSPIRE Program because of what it brings to potential students, which he says is a similar feeling to how he became a midshipman.

As a child, Stallings’ father bought him a World Book Encyclopedia. While browsing through the pages, he came across a section about the US military with a photograph of the Naval Academy. Stallings was instantly intrigued.

“The one that just struck me was the photo of the midshipmen at the Academy, and they were in formation out on Warden Field and the gallantry. I think I was 12 years old, and I decided that’s what I want to do,” Stallings said.

He found himself looking back at that encyclopedia each week, visualizing himself on the field and in formation for a parade.

Years later when the Academy called and asked if he would be willing to inspire potential students to pursue their college education as midshipmen, he saw the INSPIRE Program as the perfect solution.

Stallings credits his experience as a midshipman for teaching him to be resilient both at the Academy, but also in his career and personal life after military service.

“The thing I learned is to not quit—to persist,” Stalling said. “The fancy word is resilience. Being able to take the hits, take the failures, the challenges and deal with them. And not let them turn you back. That’s really it. That’s been the story of my life.”

Persistence, resiliency and refusing to give up are at the heart of who Stallings is, in part because of his time at the Academy and the lessons he took as a midshipman, and his ability to apply those lessons to his life moving forward.

“In the middle of that, you’re going to achieve a lot,” Stallings said. “The winner is the one most resilient.”