LEXINGTON, Ky --- United States Congressman, Andy Barr hosted a military send-off ceremony Friday, for eight Kentucky high school graduates who are preparing to enter some of the most prestigious military academies in the country.

Each year, members of the United States Congress are able to nominate students from their state to receive an appointment to a high-profile military service academy.  Congressman Barr shared that he nominated eight young Kentuckians and is thrilled that all of them were appointed.

“It’s hard to get eight, I will tell you. It’s so competitive, not just in Kentucky, but nationwide,” says Barr, who representes Kentucky's 6th Congressional District.

Seven out of the eight teenage appointees were in attendance for the send-off ceremonies in Lexington.

One of those students is preparing to head to the U.S. Airforce Academy, four are headed to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, another has plans to join the U.S. Marine Academy, while two others will be joining the U.S. Naval Academy.

“Kentucky is a particularly patriotic place. It’s a place of higher participation in the military and more interest among young people to serve and so Kentucky has been and always has been a tradition, a proud tradition of sending our sons and daughters to serve our country in uniform,” adds Barr

 “You know I have the nerves going into it because I’m thinking about what’s looming ahead, these 6 weeks of pleebs that are going to be crazy and I don’t know what I’m getting into, but I come here, I hear people like the Major talk about their experiences and the things that they’ve learned and all of that pride and passion and patriotism, is just renewed inside of me and it makes me so excited and so proud to do whatever I have to do, to get where I want to be,” explains Anna Marie Gilligan, U.S. Naval Academy Appointee from Lexington

Not only is Anna Marie the only Kentucky female who received this type of  appointment, but she actually was accepted to three of the military academies and says she is looking forward to starting this first chapter of her military career.

“I’ve been underestimated my whole life. I’ve had people come up to me to this year, especially after articles have been released and have been like, oh, you’re actually smart, and it’s a bit of bash, but it’s also, they’re expectations of me were down here and I’ve raised the bar all the way up here, so they’re this much more impressed. So, I love doing that, I love what it means for myself and women, my grandmother just has never seen anything like this in her life and that means a lot to me, to be in a minority, I love the platform that I’m given and I plan to take it all the way to the top,” explains Gilligan

The honor of attending a service academy also comes with an obligation and commitment to serve in the military for a minimum of five years after graduation, which all of the students Spectrum News 1 spoke with say, they are all the way in and ready to get started.

U.S. Air Force Academy Appointee:

  • Christopher Michael Stefanski, son of Michael and Catherine Stefanski, a resident of Winchester and graduate of George Rogers Clark High School.

U.S. Merchant Marine Academy Appointee:

  • Douglas Wright, son of Roger and Catherine Wright, a resident of Lexington and graduate of Paul Lawrence Dunbar High School.

 U.S. Naval Academy Appointees:

  • Anna Marie Gilligan, daughter of Chris and Janet Gilligan, a resident of Lexington and graduate of Henry Clay High School. Gilligan received appointments from the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, and the U.S. Air Force Academy. She will attend the Naval Academy.
  • Victoriano Jackson Trevino, son of Marko and Angela Trevino, a resident of Georgetown and graduate of Scott County High School.

U.S. Military Academy at West Point Appointees:

  • William David Henry, son of David and Tonya Henry, a resident of Winchester and graduate of George Rogers Clark High School.
  • Isaac Archer Marret, son of Leland and Christine Marret, a resident of Lawrenceburg and graduate of St. Xavier High School in Louisville.
  • Samuel Tabor Martin, son of Craig and Carol Ann Martin, a resident of Georgetown and graduate of Lexington Christian Academy.
  • Seth Quackenbush, son of Eric and Ann Quackenbush, a resident of Georgetown and graduate of Scott County High School.