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2 Souhegan Students Nominated for U.S. Service Academies

Ben Massa and Trevor Brown received strong praise for their "incredible dedication" and their "exceptional" character.

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Two local students were among a list of 40 nominated Tuesday by U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) for acceptance into the nation's service academies.

Ben Massa and Trevor Brown, both of Amherst, each received nominations for acceptance into at least one of the academies, which include the United States Naval Academy, the United States Merchant Marine Academy, the United States Air Force Academy, and West Point. 

"Each of these young men and women has shown incredible dedication to the service of the Granite State and has made valuable contributions to their communities," Shaheen said in a statement about the students she nominated. "Their commitment to making our country stronger is unparalleled and it’s an honor to recognize and nominate these exceptional New Hampshire students."

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The full list of students nominated by Shaheen is below, organized by academy. More information on the nomination process can be found on Shaheen's website.

United States Naval Academy

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  • Erika Tischbein — Hometown: Etna, Hanover High School
  • Griffin Sperry — Hometown: Lee, Tilton School 
  • Nicholas Masella — Hometown: Merrimack, Merrimack High School
  • Connor Russell — Hometown: Bedford, Bedford High School
  • Andrew Bell — Hometown: Bedford, George Washington University in Washington, D.C.
  • Kealey Cela — Hometown: Hampstead, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida
  • Noah Thompson — Hometown: Wentworth, Holderness School
  • Ben Massa — Hometown: Amherst, Souhegan High School
  • James Spalding — Hometown: Milford, Milford High School
  • Jack Ward — Hometown: North Hampton, Salisbury School (Salisbury, Conn.) 
  • Jordan Loll — Hometown: Peterborough, Contoocook Valley Regional High School
  • Jackson Luff — Hometown: Portsmouth, Portsmouth High School
  • Natalie Giraldi — Hometown: Bedford, Bedford High School
  • Daniel Colella — Hometown: Bedford, Bedford High School
  • John Jasinski — Hometown: Lebanon, Lebanon High School
  • Ethan Guyer — Hometown: West Lebanon, Lebanon High School
  • Brendan Bryck — Hometown: New London, Bishop Brady High School
  • John Hammond — Hometown: Laconia, Laconia High School
  • Victoria Botana — Hometown: Warner, Kearsarge Regional High School
  • Zachary Scholz — Hometown:  Northwood, Oyster River High School

    • United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA)

    • Hemenway Coburn — Hometown:  Londonderry, Londonderry High School
    • Thomas Jeliffe — Hometown: Charlestown, Fall Mountain Regional High School 
    • Tyler Maviki — Hometown: Alexandria, Newfound Regional High School
    • Daniel Colella — Hometown: Bedford, Bedford High School
    • John Jasinski — Hometown: Lebanon, Lebanon High School
    • Ethan Guyer — Hometown: West Lebanon, Lebanon High School
    • Victoria Botana — Hometown: Warner, Kearsarge Regional High School [Editor's note: Botana's name appears twice on the list released by Shaheen's office.]
    • Tristan McManus — Hometown: Raymond, Raymond High School

      • United States Air Force Academy (USAFA)

      • Jacob Parzych — Hometown: Litchfield, Campbell High School
      • Jordan Loll — Hometown: Peterborough, Contoocook Valley Regional High School
      • John Flory — Hometown: Hanover, Hanover High School
      • Shelby Fatcheric — Hometown: Weare, Holy Family Academy (Manchester)
      • Alex Kasparek — Hometown: Brookline, Hollis/Brookline High School
      • Rebecca Daniels — Hometown: Lyman, Lisbon Regional High School
      • George Nifakos — Hometown: Plaistow, Timberlane Regional High School
      • Cheyenne Letourneau — Hometown: Rochester, Spaulding High School
      • James Spalding — Hometown: Milford, Milford High School
      • Trevor Brown — Hometown: Amherst, Souhegan High School

      United States Military Academy/West Point (USMA)

      • Angus Gorman — Hometown: North Hampton, Phillips Exeter Academy
      • Dwight Alford — Hometown: Bow, Home Schooled
      • Joseph Karsonovich — Hometown: Hampton Falls, St. Thomas Aquinas High School
      • Andrew Sylvester — Hometown: Campton, Home Schooled 
      • Mitchell Klema — Hometown: Charlestown, Fall Mountain Regional High School 
      • Alexander Wimsatt — Hometown: Northwood, Coe-Brown Northwood Academy
      • Jack Ward — Hometown: North Hampton, Salisbury School (Salisbury, Conn.) [Editor's note: Ward's name appears twice on the list released by Shaheen's office.] 
      • Nick Boire — Hometown: Manchester, Trinity High School
      • Jackson Luff — Hometown: Portsmouth, Portsmouth High School [Editor's note: Luffs name appears twice on the list released by Shaheen's office.] 
      • David Ahnen — Hometown: Bedford, College of Charleston, S.C.

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