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Thursday, July 12, 2007

Cadet Chosen For Boys Nation

By Laura Nesbitt
Mountain View Telegraph
    Even though he's only 17 years old, one young man from Edgewood has big plans— and being selected as one of two New Mexico delegates to attend the American Legion Boys Nation in Washington, D.C., later this month might help him achieve them.
    Sgt. 1st Class Antonio Noriega, who just completed his third year at New Mexico Military Institute in Roswell, will participate in the weeklong program July 20-28.
    First held in 1946, the forum provides 98 young men practical insight into the operations of the federal government.
    Young delegates from all over the country will attend lectures, forums and field trips. They may speak with U.S. senators on Capitol Hill, visit the State Department or even go to the White House for a meeting with the president. Previous graduates of the program include former President Clinton, members of Congress, governors and state legislators.
    To get elected to Boys Nation, Noriega was first selected to represent NMMI at Boys State, held at Eastern New Mexico University on June 3-8. Also run by the American Legion, Boys State allows young men to participate in mock government on a city and state level.
    "I was awarded senior senator and that's how I was elected to go to American Legion Boys Nation," Noriega explained.
    He said is both very happy and very surprised that he has gotten this far.
    "My dad works construction and my mom is the fiscal manager for the office of the state medical investigator," Noriega said. "They tried to steer me away from the military path."
    Apparently they didn't succeed.
    A private school, NMMI has offered military training to cadets since 1908.
    "Technically we're a college preparatory high school," said Capt. Kalith Smith, counselor at the NMMI student assistance center. Smith's title comes from the New Mexico National Guard.
    The majority of the students will never go into one of the military academies. They're looking for a leadership program and a great education, Smith said.
    Noriega's plans include applying to "every college" to earn a political science degree, completing the Reserve Officers' Training Corps program and then becoming a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army.
    After that he hopes to apply to the Funded Legal Education Program so the Army will pay for his law degree. His final goal: becoming a trial attorney.
    "He has a great future," said Smith, who has worked with the admissions program at NMMI for seven years and has seen a lot of students. "He soaks up the leadership stuff at the institute. One day he will run for governor or president, something like that. You'll see his name again."
    His history and government teacher agreed.
    "He is a person I expect to go quite far," said Lt. Col. Marian desCognets.
    "If I'm alive when he runs for president, I'll vote for him," she added.
    Along with the rest of his plans, Noriega said he wants to put New Mexico on the map— of the United States.
    "How many times have you called up FedEx and said I'm from New Mexico and they say we don't ship internationally?" he said.
    According to Smith, the state Legislature provides NMMI scholarships every year, many of which go unclaimed. For more information about funding programs available, contact the NMMI office of admissions at 624-8058.