Grace Perrotta, a senior at Bloomfield High, will be heading to the Naval Academy.
BLOOMFIELD, NJ — A Bloomfield High School senior headed for the U.S Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md.
Grace Perrotta, daughter of Stephen and Kate Sheehy Perrotta, of Essex Avenue, learned the good news last week in an email.
“I told my older sister first,” Grace said about her reaction to her acceptance.
She spoke last weekend in the BHS lobby, with her brother Sean, a third-grader at Brookdale Elementary School, beside her.
Grace said she has always felt the need to make a contribution to society and considered a career in renewable energy.
But as she got older, her focus evolved, too.
“In high school, I wanted to do even more,” she said. “I thought the Naval Academy would be it.”
She will not be the first family member to think this way. Her maternal grandfather, Edward J. Sheehy, is a Naval Academy graduate, officially with the Class of 1946. But according to Grace’s mother, he was graduated a year earlier because of World War II.
Unofficial word about her acceptance was received two weeks ago from U.S. Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen, a Republican who represents the 11th District, which includes parts of Morris, Essex, Sussex and Passaic counties.
Frelinghuysen nominated her for admission. Grace was excited by the the news, but waited to say anything until she was officially informed; she then told BHS Principal Chris Jennings.
In an email to this newspaper, Jennings wrote: “”Grace is an outstanding student and an even better young lady. She epitomizes the principles of the Naval Academy and I know she will continue to represent her family and our school with pride and dignity. I applaud her determination and I am thankful that she is willing to serve our country in the United States Navy.”
Grace played soccer, basketball and ran track.
To be considered for acceptance, Grace submitted an initial application with her academic record and family history. This was followed by a second application, a medical examination and an interview conducted by a “blue and gold” officer. She was interviewed at her home for 2 ½ hours.
The academy is a four-year school, but graduates are required to serve five years in the Navy upon graduation. After speaking with people at the Naval Academy, Grace said she would now consider majoring in surface warfare or nuclear energy while there.
During this newspaper’s interview with Grace, her little brother expressed his own sense of resolve because of his sister’s accomplishment.
He said the Naval Academy is the third-hardest school in the country to gain admission to, with Harvard University being the hardest, followed by Stanford University and the Naval Academy.
“Now I feel I have to one-up her and go to Stanford,” Sean said.
Grace’s older sister, Anna, attends the University of Delaware, and her younger sister, Gina, is a BHS sophomore.
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