Sparta’s Jenna Bargfrede Selected To Attend US Naval Academy

SPARTA, NJ — She's graduating from Sparta High School and now Jenna Bargfrede, 18, is readying for the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md.

Bargfrede was one of 23 students throughout the 11th U.S. Congressional District who Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill, D-11th Dist., recently announced as one of the appointees in her district.

Sherrill herself is a Naval Academy graduate, having finished her studies there in 1994, before a decade-long career as one of the Navy’s Sea King helicopter pilots and a Russian policy officer.

Bargfrede said she plans to major in aerospace engineering at the Academy.

She shared why she chose the Naval Academy for her future.

“The Academy offers great opportunities academic and leadership wise, but it also gives me a greater purpose in life,” Bargfrede told Patch.

“My mom and her family immigrated from the Philippines and worked unimaginably hard to give me the comfortable life I have, and I see military service as a way of giving back to my family and my country so that others may have the same opportunities that my family had,” she continued.

While at Sparta High School, Bargfrede played both varsity tennis and lacrosse and during her off-season, she trained for a half-marathon with one of her friends. During the winter season, she said she also swam for fun.

“I am also very passionate about orchestra,” she added. “I’ve participated in several pit orchestras for high school and college musicals, after-school orchestra clubs, as well as the Sussex County Youth Orchestra, where I mentor.”

The full list of students honored in NJ-11 who accepted service academy appointments were:

Jenna Bargfrede, Sparta – US Naval Academy
John Casano-Boris, Chatham – US Naval Academy
Jordan Quiles, West Orange – US Naval Academy
Colin Ramos, Wayne – US Naval Academy
Kenneth Johnson, Boonton – US Naval Academy
Nicholas Amoroso, Montville – US Military Academy
Darius Sattari, Morristown – US Military Academy
Clayton Bernauer, Parsippany – US Military Academy
Thomas Dean, Sparta – US Military Academy
Robert Blacha, Wayne – US Military Academy
Royson Folas, West Orange – US Military Academy
Hyunmook Kang, Montville – US Military Academy
James Conti, Caldwell – US Military Academy
Tomas Hut, Nutley – US Military Academy
Justin Chorstowski, Butler – US Military Academy
Patrick McCabe, Madison – US Military Academy
Kevin LaCouture, Wanaque – US Air Force Academy
Connor Manion, Morris Plains – US Air Force Academy
Hydar Aran, Lake Hiawatha – US Air Force Academy
Yong Seong Cho, Livingston – US Air Force Academy
Benjamin Endersby, Caldwell – US Merchant Marine Academy
Matthew Son, Secaucus – US Merchant Marine Academy
Arthur Dozier, Southampton – US Merchant Marine Academy

Questions or comments about this story? Contact me at: jennifer.miller@patch.com