Gulfport, Miss.. – Captain Angela Cyrus, a Mississippi native, will represent the U.S. Naval Academy at Congressman Gene Taylor's 19th Annual Academy Day Seminar which will be held at the University of Southern Mississippi Student Union on October 16th from 8 a.m. to noon.

Captain Cyrus is the Director of Admissions for the U.S. Naval Academy. Her father is from Hattiesburg, and her mother is from columbus, Miss. Captain Cyrus graduated from Mississippi State University where she earned her undergraduate degree in computer science, earned her masters in Information Management Systems from the Naval Postgraduate School, and her Ph.D. In Public Administration from Old Dominion University.

Congressman Taylor is happy to welcome home Captain Cyrus for his annual event which provides young people in South Mississippi, who are interested in attending one of the five U. S. Service Academies a chance to learn about valuable scholarships and career opportunities available to them.

"I am honored to host this annual event where our district's young people can learn how they can continue Mississippi's proud history of service to their nation." Taylor said. "This year, we have expanded our invitation to South Mississippi community colleges. It is a great opportunity for community college students willing to enroll in one of the Academies or to participate in one of the ROTC programs in exchange for the privilege of serving the nation as a military officer when they complete their education."
Representatives from the U.S. Military Academy, U.S. Air Force Academy, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, U.S. Naval Academy, and U.S. Coast Guard Academy will be in attendance to provide information and answer questions. Army, Air Force, and Navy ROTC Representatives will also make a presentation.

Taylor encourages all interested high school, community, and junior college students to come to Academy Day to find out what courses they should take and how to qualify for military academy appointments or ROTC programs. "This event is not only for students who are interested in applying this year," he said. "High School freshmen and sophomores can ask questions and learn what they need to do to improve their chances of an academy appointment."

Potential candidates will learn the various options available to them, the admission requirements for each, and the specific process to receive a congressional nomination to one of the service academies. Students in the Fourth Congressional District may request nominations from Congressman Taylor, Senators Thad Cochran and Roger Wicker as well as the President of the United States.

Interested students and parents will also get to meet cadets who are currently attending the U.S. military academies. Cadets will provide their perspective on life at a service academy and be able to answer questions that potential candidates may have. Representatives from the various service academies parents' clubs will also be there to provide information and answer questions.

Below is a list of the Academies and their respective representatives who will be in attendance.

AIR FORCE ACADEMY
Lt Kevin Van Hook

COAST GUARD ACADEMY
LT Frederick D. Pugh

MERCHANT MARINE ACADEMY
LT Tyrone Broxton

MILITARY ACADEMY
Cadet Alex Willoughby

U.S. NAVAL ACADEMY
CAPT Angela Cyrus

AIR FORCE ROTC
Capt Daniel Harrison
ARMY ROTC
MAJ Brian McIntyre
NAVY ROTC
LT Cassidy Rasmussen

Congressman Gene Taylor (D-Miss.) is a senior member of the U.S. House Armed Services Committee and Chairman of the Seapower and Expeditionary Forces Subcommittee. Rep.Taylor is a strong supporter of and advocate for our nation's veterans. Taylor served in the Coast Guard Reserve from 1971-1984 as the skipper of a search and rescue boat. He received the Commandant's Letter of Commendation for fire fighting and a letter of Commendation for saving the life of a crew member.

For more information, please contact Suzy Soberoski in Congressman Taylor's Hattiesburg Office: (601) 582-3246.

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