WEDNESDAY, JULY

of the United States Naval Academy midshipman.’ I was like, well, either my mom put that in the yard like trying to manifest that’s gonna happen or it did happen,” said Lopez. “It kind of felt unreal, because it had been so up and down with everything. With every high came in low, and every accomplishment came a setback as well.”

With the acceptance behind her, Lopez is looking toward the future. For her, that means Plebe Summer, starting June 29.

Plebe summer is a period of training before school starts in the fall. After being inducted into the Naval Academy, Lopez, along with her fellow freshman, will have limited access to the outside world, with no access to television, movies, the internet or music. She’ll get three phone calls during the six-week period.

Afterward, Lopez hopes to major in political science and become an intelligence officer in the Navy. Once she’s graduated, she’s committed to five years of service in the Navy.

For now, Lopez is just excited for the opportunity to participate in track at the Naval Academy.

“I just fell in love with the campus and the idea of being able to run in college,” said Lopez. “And then what it offers after I graduate.”

For Michelle Lopez, Isabelle’s mother, the application process was difficult but well worth the effort.

“But in the end, it paid off. We kept being told, it’s all part of the process. And it’s all okay, so it was hard then when it would turn out to not go that way,” Michelle said.

“It was a very big learning experience. But it definitely was well worth every effort that was put forth.”