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Jacob Boisse is the kind of kid who might be president one day, possibly the first Hispanic-American president ever in the United States. His ancestry is Mexican on his father’s side and Spanish on his mother’s side. He is a hard-working, bright, articulate and determined Student and Athlete who has always wanted to serve his country as his father did in the U.S. Marines.
As a young man growing up some of Jacob’s favorite television channels to watch have been the History channel and the Military channel. A favorite strategic-thinking board game is RISK. As a youngster he played in the dirt in front of his house with plastic toy figurines who were engaged in make-believe battles protecting all that is good in the world. Jacob felt his calling then and he has been focusing on that pathway ever since.
Prior to his graduation from Castro Valley High School in 2014 he applied to a diverse number of colleges with strong military service programs and partnerships. He chose the California State University Maritime Academy in Vallejo, CA, which offers military and corporate business career pathways. Jacob is majoring in Global Studies in International Maritime Affairs.
“If there’s something you really want to do research it and talk with people about it. The more you do early-on it helps you to setup a path to the goal. Don’t wait until you graduate from high school (or college) to try and figure it out. I’ve seen a lot of kids do that and many end up in a job that they more or less fell into, instead of a career they were truly interested in and had a passion for. Realize though that no plan is concrete, things can change, so have flexibility and patience.”
“I always knew I wanted to be an officer in a branch of the U.S. military. I visited the Marine Officer office in Berkeley, CA, where they helped me to understand the process to become an officer. During my first year of college I applied for Platoon Leaders Class (PLC) which is one of the paths that can lead to commissioning in the Marine Corps. The application involved a lot of paperwork including my academic transcripts, SAT/ACT testing, Letters of Recommendation and also physical fitness evaluations. It is a very competitive program. I was accepted into the PLC which requires two six-week long cycles of rigorous training, screening and evaluation at Marine Corps Officer Candidates School (OCS) in Quantico, VA.”
“In April 2016 towards the end of my sophomore year in college I traveled to Romania, Bulgaria, to fulfill an international experience graduation requirement pertaining to my major. I met with port managers and CEO’s there to better understand the logistics and politics of global affairs and wrote a paper on the subject of the American military presence within that country. Four days after returning home from Bulgaria I left for OCS in Quantico.”
(OCS is a combination of heaven and hell where situations of chaos and instability constantly occur where candidates are evaluated on leadership potential and mental, moral and physical qualities. – SH)
http://www.marines.com/becoming-a-marine/officer-candidates-school
“There are constant unknown factors you deal with at OCS but you are not alone. All of us candidates, men and women, are in it together. We all had to do the same things. You just have to do it. Don’t fall behind. Don’t quit. Don’t be that guy. The fear of failure got us through. Failing was not an option and not acceptable. You have to have mental toughness. Things may not go perfect. If you make a mistake learn from it, don’t dwell on it and MOVE FORWARD.”
What’s up next for Jacob? He is soon starting his third year, junior year, at the Maritime Academy. In addition, he’ll report to his regional platoon where his role will be to mentor, train and prepare new PLC applicants as well as prepare himself for his second of two six-weeks at OCS end of junior year. He will also compete as a Student-Athlete for his third year on the Maritime Academy rowing team. When he was in high school he was a distance runner and for many years prior to that he was a martial arts instructor and student.
After completing his second six-weeks at OCS he will complete his senior year of college and graduate. A four-year college bachelors degree (and a high school diploma) are required to become an officer. If all goes well, with all of the hard work, planning, dedication and grit, Jacob will be commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps. At that point he will depart to The Basic School (TBS) at Quantico. TBS is a six-month higher level Marine training program. After TBS, depending on one’s status, officers will go into a field of qualified high interest.
“My areas of interest are in Intelligence and in Armor. The location where I will be assigned can be anywhere in the world. I will be a Marine officer and I am proud to serve and lead.”
Jacob turned 20-years old in July 2016. For a young man he is quite grownup and shares words of inspiration to other youth: “Go after your passion big or small and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Only you can determine whether you have the heart and dedication to get there. If and when you need help along the way figure it out. Make good choices and decisions. Think strategic and plan. You can accomplish anything!”
Good luck to you, Jacob, we are proud of you and look forward to staying in touch and seeing you go and grow!
Photos: Jacob at completion of first PLC 2016; Jacob while in high school with his father, James, and mother, Jeanette, all part of the SportsHopes family.
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