Mt. Laurel resident Nicholas P. Panagotopulos was nominated for the position by Congressman Tom MacArthur.
Mt. Laurel resident Nicholas P. Panagotopulos was recently sworn in as a midshipman in the United States Naval Reserve at the United States Merchant Marine Academy.
Nominated by Congressman Tom MacArthur, Panagotopulos joins a group of 270 midshipmen at the Kings Point NYÂ Academy.
The United States Merchant Marine Academy is a federal service academy that educates and graduates Merchant Marine officers.
In addition to the academic and physical requirements for admission, applicants must be nominated by their Congressman or Senator.
It is one of the five federal service academies, including West Point, the Naval Academy, the Air Force Academy and the Coast Guard Academy.
All USMMA graduates earn both a Bachelor of Science degree and a Merchant Marine Officer license, and incur an obligation to serve the country as an active or reserve officer in the US armed forces.
As part of his four-year education, Panagotopulos will spend one year training aboard ocean going vessels.
USMMA is the only federal academy where students train on commercial vessels while traveling around the globe.
