AHS student sets sail for Naval Academy




Piper Spindle

Piper Spindle

When Piper Spindle moves back to her home state of Maryland in the fall of 2019, she won’t just be reuniting with old friends and family members. The Agoura High School senior has been selected to attend the elite United States Naval Academy in Annapolis after securing nominations from U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein and U.S. Rep. Julia Brownley.

It appears that Piper, 17, has got the right stuff to become a midshipman at the academy.

Piper is a stellar student with nearly a 4.2 GPA and top scores on the ACT test, but she needed more than just academic achievement to make the grade for the Naval Academy, which accepts only 7 percent of applicants each year, a statistic that rivals Ivy League schools. She also had to prove that she was physically able to handle the rigors of a military academy. Thanks to her training as a lacrosse player, she met that requirement easily.

Not only has Piper played the sport all four years at Agoura High, she’s this year’s team captain. At age 15, she landed a spot on the Israel Lacrosse Association’s high school team, an opportunity that led to international competitions and even a stint playing in the 2016 World Cup in England.

Although Piper wasn’t recruited as an athlete by the Naval Academy, she plans to try out for the sport during her freshman year.

“I have a chance,” she said. “If not, the academy has club lacrosse.”

Piper has lofty plans for the academy and a military career. She wants to major in Arabic, which she hopes will lead to a government intelligence career.

“I extremely enjoy learning languages and about different cultures,” she said. “Honestly, I think I pick up languages easily.” She is already speaks conversational Spanish and Hebrew.

The U.S. Naval Academy application process is among the most formidable to navigate. Prospective students must be nominated by congressional leaders.

She was one of 20 applicants chosen from a statewide pool of hundreds of prospective recruits to apply for a nomination from Feinstein and Brownley. After an extensive interview process, the applicants were whittled down to 10. Piper made the cut, received a nomination and was allowed to submit her application to the academy.

Since 1980, more than 5,000 women have graduated from the Naval Academy.

Tuition is funded by the Navy. In exchange, students agree to serve in the military branch for at least five years.

Piper’s interest in attending the Naval Academy didn’t come from her family. Neither of her parents served in the armed forces, she said, noting that her family is the “furthest thing from a military family.”

Her decision to apply simply came down to the academy’s reputation, she said.

“(The academy) carried a name with prestige and great academics,” Piper said. “I wanted a school that was bigger—bigger sports, bigger spirit, bigger football. And I wanted a school that bestowed a certain identity.”

Piper was also impressed by what she heard from academy alumni, who she said have gone on to work for everyone from Amgen to the FBI.

“All of the graduates had incredible things to say (about the school),” she said.

Moving back to Maryland also was a draw for the teen.

“The West Coast is fun, but the East Coast will always be home,” she said.

Piper’s parents, Lindsey and David, knew early on that their daughter was destined to carve out a unique life for herself.

“From a very young age, Piper exhibited a set of qualities we suspected would take her far in this world,” Lindsey Spindle said.

In a statement, Piper’s parents expressed pride in her devotion to excellence.

“She took our advice—always aim high—to a place we never anticipated,” they said. “We are beyond proud of her accomplishments, courage and commitment to service and leadership.”