NEWS

Senior breaks ground for Quincy High as she plans to head to West Point this fall

Mary Whitfill
The Patriot Ledger

QUINCY − She can already list the drama club, the hockey team and the softball team on her lengthy résumé, but Quincy High senior Hailey Concannon is about to add her most impressive accomplishment yet: West Point plebe.

Concannon, 17, has been admitted to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York. She'll report to the school, which boasts an acceptance rate below 11%, this summer to undergo a six-week basic training before starting classes in the fall.

"I've always been drawn to joining the military. I've wanted to do it since I was in elementary school," Concannon, who has no immediate veteran family members, said. "I'm really drawn to the leadership aspect."

A lifelong Quincy resident, Concannon attended Atherton Hough Elementary School and Central Middle School. Her time in high school was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but she didn't let the unusual conditions stop her from getting the full experience. She's captain of both the softball and girls hockey teams and is a master carpenter and assistant stage manager in the drama club.

"The community is just so good in Quincy," she said. "There's a lot of opportunities for students in the Quincy Public Schools if you look for them."

Concannon started her lengthy West Point application process in February of her junior year. It included a series of surveys designed to get to know applicants, sending transcripts and five written recommendations from teachers, a fitness test and an interview with a local representative of the school. She then applied for nomination from U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch − which included more interviews and paperwork − who endorsed her application.

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In June, Concannon will attend "Reception Day," and her family will drop her off for a six-week basic training that includes marksmanship courses and learning basic field exercises. She would graduate from basic training in August and start classes soon after, which will include two years of general education classes, physical education classes and military science training.

After those two years, she'll pick a major. She's leaning toward mechanical engineering, but said, "There are a lot of chances to explore majors before that."

"I'm really excited to meet everyone in my class," she said. "Everyone says the people you meet there become your closest friends for the rest of your life."

Concannon and her family have been told she's the first girl from Quincy High to be accepted into West Point, an accomplishment she said she takes seriously and hopes to help others achieve.

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"I didn't realize that when I applied, but that really feels like an honor," she said. "I have a friend who is a junior and looking to get into a service academy as well, so hopefully I can be a resource for her."

West Point graduates are commissioned as second lieutenants in the Army and go straight into a year of leadership training before becoming a first lieutenant. From there, graduates are required to serve at least five years of active duty and four years in the reserves.

Demographic information for Concannon's class − the Class of 2027 − has not been released by West Point. Last year's round of accepted students included 256 women, who made up 21% of the incoming students.

North Quincy track star Kiera Sleiman signed to the U.S. Naval Academy last spring.

Reach Mary Whitfill at mwhitfill@patriotledger.com.

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