'A really cool experience' : Jackson's Malone to attend US Naval Academy

"I really wanted to find a way to serve my country and also, at the same time, get a world-class education," said Jackson High School graduate Sam Malone.

As one of only four students from Missouri's 8th District to receive appointment to a U.S. service academy, Malone's twin priorities of service and education are powerful in their simplicity.

"The Naval Academy seemed to be the best way to achieve them," Malone reflected, adding many of his family members have taught at or attended the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.

U.S. Rep. Jason Smith personally congratulated Malone on his achievement.

"Sam Malone is an outstanding young man with strong academics and leadership skills. I was impressed by Sam's passion to serve and his commitment to live by his motto of always making the most out of every opportunity that comes along. I wish Sam the best and know he will make Missouri proud as he takes this exciting -- yet challenging -- step in his pursuit of a military career," Smith said, according to a news release from the representative's office.

Malone has taken his measure of celebrity with restraint, modesty and a dose of stoicism. But beneath the calm, the young man is exhilarated.

"Mostly I feel excited. There's a little bit of nervousness going towards basic training, but that's just because it's mostly unexpected stuff that I haven't really done before. For the most part, I feel excitement for all the opportunities that I'll be able to have," Malone said.

Training

Just as students study before an exam to prepare their brains, Malone has been preparing his body. He explained that working out, already part of his regular routine, has become a habitual cornerstone. Malone's time with Jackson's cross country team has already made him a competent runner.

Malone simply explained his physical preparations.

"I'll do cardio, and then a lot of calisthenics stuff, like sit ups, push ups, planking and that kind of stuff," Malone said.

From the outside, physical fitness may seem like a peripheral concern to the typical college student. Malone, however, takes it very seriously.

"Whenever you just go to a normal college, you don't really have a requirement or expectation to be physically fit. But in the Naval Academy, the day after you report, they issue a physical readiness test. They issue them throughout the semesters as you attend. Part of your class rank is derived from how well you perform on those tests," he explained.

History

In the pursuit of a strong body, Malone has not neglected his mind; history remains one of his favorite intellectual pursuits.

"Looking back, I was always a big fan of history," Malone said.

Fittingly, Malone paid special attention to naval history. However, he said it's still too soon to know how much that subject will dominate his future studies.

"I won't know my major until my second semester of my freshman 'plebe' year," Malone said, using the military academy's term for new students still in the first phase of education. "But I really would look forward to being a history major. The Naval Academy, you know, it was established in 1845, and they have amazing history available, just on campus. Then, there's also study abroad. Their history program would just be really exciting to be a part of."

Malone remembered "falling in love with history" while watching World War II movies with his father. Studying the Second World War in his free time, Malone said, forced him to repeatedly ask himself, "How did all this happen?"

"I ended up going down a rabbit hole," Malone admitted.

Purely for pleasure, without a teacher's prodding or the pressure of grades, Malone accumulated a self-taught knowledge of military history.

"I just kept going back, and studying more and more history," Malone recalled.

Path of a pilot

Something beyond the love of history, however, also drove Malone to the Naval Academy.

"I've always wanted to fly," he said. "The Navy has the naval aviators. But even if I can't become a naval aviator through the academy, they offer a lot of other routes that I would also love to do."

Although Malone spoke with humility, it was clear where his highest hopes were placed.

Yet the young man made no effort to describe his current goals as lifelong dreams. Malone said his unusual path only illuminated itself recently, during his sophomore year of high school.

"That's the first year you start thinking about college and stuff, and, I just thought, 'This is something I really want to do,'" Malone explained.

The young man considered the analogy of strong steel being heated, hammered and sharpened into a fine blade. Malone accepted himself as raw material preparing to be honed.

"Oh, yeah. I would say that's very fair. Yes," he said.

Following that imagery, Malone mentioned a U.S. Naval Academy program called "the link in the chain."

"It links your class to a class 50 years before, and provides alumni contacts," Malone said, describing the program. "It opens up the history and tradition of the Navy. So, for example, my class is linked to the class of '76. It's really a cool experience to feel that connection and be a part of that legacy."