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Laura Friedman

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Teens beat the odds, land spots at West Point and other elite academies

Local News Pasadena · August 10, 2026

Six students in CA-30 District earn coveted service appointments

Six students from across California’s 30th Congressional District are trading high school graduation caps for military insignia this fall, after Rep. Laura Friedman announced their acceptance into some of the nation’s most competitive service academies and preparatory programs.

The Class of 2030 nominees — hailing from Los Angeles, Glendale, Sun Valley, and Burbank — will report to West Point, the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, and the Naval and Air Force Academy Preparatory Schools, capping years of academic rigor, physical training, and community involvement with one of the most selective honors available to American teenagers.

Joseph Janghyun Baik of Los Angeles and David Juho Lee of Glendale will head to West Point, joining a legacy of military leadership that stretches back to the academy’s founding in 1802. Maxwell Ryder Martin-Beckmann of Sun Valley earned his place at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, where he’ll t…