Matthew Shirah earns appointment
Fannin County High School Class of 2020 graduate Matthew Shirah has received an appointment to the United States Naval Academy (USNA), where he will play baseball.
“I’m definitely really excited,” he said. “It’s going to be interesting because it’s a different environment. I mean going away from home and having the military aspect, on top of the rigorous academics. It’s going to be tough for sure, but I’m sure I’m going to enjoy it.”
Shirah, who finished his senior year as the Class of 2020 valedictorian, earned 32 college credits while in high school through dual enrollment and Advanced Placement classes, is a member of the National Honor Society and National Technical Honor Society, received the University of Georgia Certificate of Merit and scored a 35 on the ACT.
He’s also lettered in varsity baseball for four years, received the Best Defensive Player of the Year award in 2019, Top Scholar Athlete award in 2019 and 2020, named to All Region 7-AAA Second Team in 2018, All Regional 7-AAA First Team in 2019 and 2020, and received the Perfect Game Rawlings Pre-season High School All American Honorable Mention in 2018 and 2019.
He found out he would officially have a spot at USNA in November of last year.
“I was really excited,” he said. “I kind of knew it was coming because of baseball, but it was still really nice to know where I was going.”
According to Blue and Gold Officer Susan Youngman, applying to the academy can be a long and arduous process.
“Approximately 16,000 young men and women begin their application each year,” she said. “They must meet all the criteria; grades, test scores, high moral character, be medically cleared, pass a fitness assessment, have a history of community service, have recommendations and have outstanding leadership skills.
“In addition, about 5,000 of those receive a nomination from their congressman, senator or the Vice President, which is a requirement to even be considered for an appointment. They are then evaluated by an academic board, which is forwarded to the admissions board before an offer of appointment is sent out.”
Shirah received his nominations from former Georgia Senator Johnny Isakson and Congressman Doug Collins.
USNA enrolls around 4,500 students based on the needs of the Navy. It ranks #4 in public colleges, has an acceptance rate of only 8 percent and also boasts a graduation rate of 91%.
Shirah also received $425,000 to go towards his time at the academy. It encompasses $200,000 plus for educational learning and $200,000 plus for professional learning. According to Youngman, this figure does not include the four years of room and board and a monthly salary that he will also be receiving.
“They have a good engineering program and their academics are really strong,” Shirah said.
He is also excited to continue his baseball career after his senior season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Shirah’s parents are proud of his success. His father, Cliff Shirah, said, “We’ve been invested since an early age, like everybody up here whose kids are successful, mom and dad are right there with them. When you’re in it, I don’t think you realize how amazing it is, but now to have him graduate and have both our sons, products of Fannin County schools, who were first in their class from the very beginning, middle school, elementary school, high school, and then to have the drive and discipline to do that is a hard thing to do.
“On top of that, none of the travel teams we played are anywhere near here. We drive 90 miles one way, three times a week during school, and they still maintained those grades and made elite travel teams. Both of them made it in the top 1,000 players in the nation. I mean it’s just really crazy, so we’re really blessed.”
Shirah will travel to the academy in Annapolis, Maryland, around June 25 to complete his “Plebe Summer,” however, due to the pandemic, this year’s plebes will likely be in for a different experience. He said, “We’re expecting to do some form of quarantine.”
Upon graduation, Shirah will have a Bachelors of Science degree and a commission as an officer in the United States Navy or the United States Marine Corps.
Anyone interested in pursuing USNA can contact Youngman by email at kittencats@hotmail.com.