May 11, 2008 — Hugo Roller III, 18, is a young St. John man with a very bright future that starts with departing July 2 for the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md.
"I want to make a career in the Navy or the Marines," he said. "I haven't decided which yet."
Once he's through the academy, many options will be open to him, but he has a strong interest in aviation.
"I want to do something exciting and maybe on the brink," he said.
The thought of going to war doesn't disturb him. Roller said he feels it's his duty to do what the military asks once he's through school. To gain admission at the academy, he must commit to spending five years in the Navy or Marines.
His military career starts out with a two-month Plebe Summer program that's essentially an intensive boot camp for incoming academy students. It includes physical and emotional training to weed out people who won't make it through the rest of the four-year program.
"They put a lot of pressure on you," he said.
Roller is confident he'll succeed because he's been running and working out to stay in shape.
He's also an avid sailor, competing around the country on small sailboats — Lasers, 420s and IC-24s.
An Antilles School senior who will graduate June 1, Roller said the long commute from his home in Coral Bay to St. Thomas was good preparation for the rigors he expects to experience at the academy.
He's already used to getting up at 5:30 a.m. to make the school ferry from Cruz Bay to Red Hook, St. Thomas, so the 5 a.m. wakeup call at the academy won't be much of an adjustment.
The process of getting into the academy takes time. Last summer he attended a week-long summer seminar that introduced him to academy life. Once that hurdle was complete, he had to apply, get recommendations from his Antilles School math and English teachers, and secure an appointment from Delegate Donna M. Christensen.
"His acceptance as a midshipman for the Class of 2012 to the academy is a tribute to his determination and skill as a sailor and a student, the hard work of his parents, Hugo and Josephine of Coral Bay Gardens and the support of the V.I. community," Christensen said.
Roller also got a recommendation from Gov. John deJongh Jr.
Tuition at the academy is free, and Roller said he also gets a monthly stipend of somewhere around $700 a month.
"My parents are glad about that," he said.
His mother said she was proud of her son.
"It's an honor," Josephine Roller said.
Roller also has a sister, Mimi.
He's excited to go off to the academy, and knows it will be a big change from his life on St. John.
"But I'm going to miss my family and friends," he said.
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