WPS 2024 Graduate Earns U.S. Naval Academy Appointment
Berlin, MD – Dylan Simons, a senior at Worcester Preparatory School (WPS) in Berlin, Maryland, will be inducted into the Naval Academy Class of 2028 on June 27, marking the beginning of six challenging weeks of basic midshipman training during Plebe Summer.
On Tuesday, May 21, Dylan Simons received his Certificate of Appointment from U.S. Naval Academy Blue and Gold Officer Steven Rakow during the Academic Convocation Ceremony at WPS. Dylan has signed to join the United States Naval Academy, committing to the Division I Men’s Gymnastics team, and majoring in Mechanical Engineering. Throughout high school, Dylan maintained an intense 20-hour-per-week commitment to gymnastics, rising to a Level 10 Maryland State Champion gymnast.
Dylan was adopted from an orphanage in Siberia, Russia, along with his brother, Hunter. Both have attended WPS since Pre-K and will graduate together on Friday. During his time at WPS, Dylan has earned his spot on the Head of School List and is a member of the Charles R. Jenkins Chapter of the National Honor Society and Spanish National Honor Society. In addition to gymnastics, Dylan has also excelled on the WPS Tennis and Cross-Country teams.
In 2020, Dylan and his brother founded a non-profit organization, Only Positive Stories, spreading positivity and awareness to programs that need support to live out their mission. Mental health support and suicide prevention programs in Worcester County have benefitted from their efforts and engagement.
Founded in 1845, the U.S. Naval Academy today is a prestigious four-year service academy that prepares midshipmen morally, mentally, and physically to be professional officers in the naval service. More than 4,400 men and women representing every state in the U.S. and several foreign countries make up the student body, known as the Brigade of Midshipmen.
In 2024, U.S. News and World Reports rated the Naval Academy as the #1 public school, #3 national liberal arts college, and #5 undergraduate engineering school. Midshipmen learn from military and civilian instructors and participate in intercollegiate varsity sports and extracurricular activities. They also study subjects such as leadership, ethics, small arms, drill, seamanship and navigation, tactics, naval engineering and weapons, and military law. Upon graduation, midshipmen earn a Bachelor of Science degree in a choice of 26 different subject majors and go on to serve at least five years of exciting and rewarding service as commissioned officers in the U.S. Navy or U.S. Marine Corps.
The Brigade of Midshipmen is comprised of approximately 4,400 students from every state in the union and a handful of international students. Each year, approximately 1,200 young women and men are admitted to the Naval Academy’s incoming class. Last year the Naval Academy received over 14,000 applications for the Class of 2027.
For more information about the Naval Academy visit website www.usna.edu.
Founded in 1970, WPS is a private, independent Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 12 School, located in Berlin, Maryland. Approximately 500 students attend from Maryland, Delaware and Virginia. For more information about WPS, please visit www.worcesterprep.org or call 410.641.3575.
Worcester Preparatory School
508 South Main Street, Berlin, MD 21811
Phone: 410-641-3575 | Fax: 410-641-3586
Celebrating 50 years, WPS is an independent, college prep day school for Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 12 students. Located in Berlin, Maryland, the private school attracts an average of 500 students from Maryland, Delaware and Virginia.
