I’m Only Seventeen, I Don’t Know Anything
April 2nd, 2025
Photo: Isabel Marengo
Writer: Emily Carlisle
Editor: Carly Schneider
By the time I turned seventeen, I had my entire life figured out. Although I understand every single other seventeen-year-old also thinks that they have the world wrapped around their finger, I was serious. Ever since I was young, my dream has been to be a Naval fighter pilot, and my determined and ambitious personality ensures that I will not let anything stand in my way.
After a grueling year-long application process including physical fitness tests, countless interviews, and congressional nominations, my hard work had earned me a spot at the United States Naval Academy, the most prestigious and selective military university in the country. I will never forget the moment I opened the email from the admissions board, hands shaking so badly I accidentally clicked on a separate advertisement email three times before managing to open the message.
Elated beyond measure, I drove home feeling on top of the world (and yes, I did blast the Top Gun soundtrack from my car speakers), excited to share the news with my parents. When I finally told them of my acceptance, my parents were unbelievably proud, understanding just how much work I had put in to reach my dream. I had an acceptance from my dream school (tuition free!), a guaranteed future career in the Navy, and a uniform with a name tape reading Carlisle awaiting me. Nothing could stand in my way.
That is, until just one week later. Although I had received a Letter of Assurance (an early offer of admission given to the most desirable candidates), this acceptance still depended on the stipulation that all of my other requirements had been met, namely, my medical exam. Like everything else regarding USNA’s application process, the medical exam is a long and difficult ordeal. Although I was extremely healthy and fit in every other regard, one small outlier threatened to hold me back: my history with anxiety.
From a very early age, I have dealt with Generalized Anxiety Disorder, but after years of hard work, I have learned to effectively manage my diagnosis, and with the help of medication, I’ve remained symptom-free. Even though I was medicated, I could function completely normally and deal with high-pressure situations, so why should a diagnosis given to me so young even matter? However, just as I feared it would be, this history was flagged on my medical report, and my medical clearance was denied. This final missing puzzle piece of my acceptance remained unfit in place, deeming my entire application and acceptance offer worthless. Shortly afterwards, I found myself in the same position I had been in just days earlier, checking my email with shaking hands. However, this time the message read, “We regret to inform you that you have not met all of the requirements for admission, and we wish you good luck on your alternate career path”. Devastated doesn’t even begin to describe what I felt.
Not only did this mean I couldn’t attend the Naval Academy, it also meant that any future military career in any branch was out of the question. Watching a year of hard work and a lifelong dream that was just in my reach come crashing down made me feel helpless and distraught beyond belief. Though I was so set in my mindset that this was my life’s only purpose, during a heated discussion with my parents one night, I remember them telling me, “You’re only seventeen, you don’t know anything”.
Though this statement seemed harsh at the time, it was a necessary reminder that although I thought I had everything figured out, sometimes it’s okay to take a step back and reevaluate a plan. As my senior year was quickly coming to a close, I was struggling to choose a college and reroute the course of my entire life. Attending the University of Michigan had always been my Plan B, and although the prospect of starting over in an unfamiliar city scared me, I was ready to take on the challenge.
Throughout my life, I’ve encountered endless obstacles both big and small, and I know that the future will only hold more. However, it’s what we choose to do when faced with these obstacles that makes all the difference. By persevering through this setback, I have been able to take advantage of so many opportunities that wouldn’t have been possible otherwise, including living with my best friends, attending one of the top universities in the country, and making memories that will last a lifetime. Although I’m still fighting to achieve my original dream someday, I’ve learned to appreciate the abundance of opportunities and good things that I already have in my life. Now, at eighteen years old, I realize that I might not know everything, but I can still make the best of an expected situation and retain that indomitable fighting spirit that pushes me to achieve anything I set my mind to.
