Former Du Quoin teen wins appointment to Naval Academy

A young man born in Du Quoin is headed for the U.S. Naval Academy.

Eric Poe, who graduated this year from St. Joseph Ogden High School in Champaign County, will report to Annapolis on July 1. The son of Gregory and Sara Poe, Eric lived in Du Quoin until he was about 6 years old.

His father, Greg, is a 1984 graduate of Du Quoin High School and his grandmother, Nancy McNeely, has lived in Du Quoin most of her life.

"'Proud' doesn't even begin to cover what I feel," McNeely said Thursday. "I knew he was looking around at colleges, but my mouth dropped open when I heard Naval Academy."

Poe was one of about 16,000 initial applicants to the Class of 2024, of which just over 1,200 (8%) received an appointment. Appointees must have a demonstrated exemplary moral character.

After the Academy reached out to him early in his junior year of high school, Poe began to research the mission of the Naval Academy and what it means to be an officer and serve his country.

After two trips to the Academy, including the weeklong Summer Seminar, where he spent time with Midshipmen and met with professors, he was hooked.

The application process included completing a six-part Candidate Fitness Assessment, a personal interview with his assigned Blue and Gold Officer, as well as numerous recommendation letters and test scores, academic and activity records, and a Department of Defense medical qualification.

Next came the congressional nomination process, which involves applying separately with each Congressional office. Though only one nomination is needed, Poe earned two: one from Congressman John Shimkus - who earned his own bachelor's degree at the U.S. Military Academy - and one from U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, a combat veteran of the Iraq War and a former U.S. Army helicopter pilot.

Poe received letters of acceptance and scholarships from other universities, including Rice University in Houston and University of Colorado in Boulder. But he remained determined to pursue his dream of becoming a Naval Officer.

"I chose the Naval Academy because, as the premier officer training program for the Navy and the Marine Corps, it will offer an incredible opportunity to lead in the defense of the freedoms we hold dear," Poe said in a news release.

"I am extremely honored and humbled to have been selected to the United States Naval Academy Class of 2024," he added.

To prepare for the athletic demands of Plebe Summer and beyond, Poe has been training extensively on his own. On July 1, Poe will enter a four-year, total immersion program of intensive academic, physical and professional training.

McNeely believes her grandson can handle it. He has worked hard for good grades and he is "highly intelligent," she said.

The thought that Eric could wind up in combat sticks in the back of her mind, but she didn't try to talk him out of it.

"When they have that determination and will, you have to let them go," his grandmother says. "This is about their achievement."

She's heading up to St. Joseph on Sunday to see Eric, since he is leaving for Annapolis soon.

Poe has yet to decide upon a major at USNA (majors are not declared until sophomore year), and upon graduation from USNA, he will simultaneously earn a Bachelor of Science degree and the rank of ensign. He will serve as an active duty officer in the Navy for an additional five years.

A news release from the U.S. Naval Academy contributed to this story.