By J.D. O’Gara

Students at the Benjamin Franklin Classical Charter Public School were treated to a visit by an alum of the school on Monday, November 25th. Artemesia Saparoff, a second-year student enrolled in the United States Naval Academy, said she was grateful for the opportunity to talk to the younger students. 

“I’m so glad to have the opportunity to come to the Academy, and now that I know what it’s all about, I’m excited to share it…so they can have these opportunities open to them as they get older,” said Saparoff.

The child and grandchild of two Harvard graduates, Saparoff had initially expected to follow in those footsteps of academic rigor, but she credits BFCCPS with widening her perspective. 

“Being at the BFCCPS definitely helped set me up for this future,” said Saparoff, “particularly because of its emphasis on character development. There’s more to a person than just their academics. There’s that moral aspect, there’s ethics, and when I (visited) the Naval Academy, I thought it was particularly attractive because of this whole integrated view of a person; they’re made up of not only their academics, but what they can do physically, what they can do morally, and what they can provide to our nation.”

 

Life at the academy isn’t for the faint of heart, however. Artemesia notes that each day begins with a 5:30 a.m. run and is packed with group formations, group class projects and nighttime briefs. She enjoys that motivation, noting that her fellow Academy members have become family. 

“You can’t get through that place alone, and I just love the aspect of getting to know everyone on such a deep level and what makes them tick,” says Saparoff, “You’re graduating with these people who are going to be your friends for life, and you’re graduating for a common goal of helping the United States Navy and helping the mission of this country. I think it’s a great experience for service, and to develop yourself and be helpful to those around you.”