Xinhe Julia Zhu [Global Times]

A 17-year-old female Chinese-American student has recently gained a place at a prestigious U.S. institution that will prepare her for life as one of the country's high-ranking military officers.

High-schooler Xinhe Julia Zhu is set to spend the next few years studying at the campus of the U.S. Naval Academy, which is based in Annapolis, Maryland.

The last time someone from her school, Pine Grove, had been accepted into a military academy was around 20 years ago, according to Major Will Shiffer, senior Army instructor with the Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC) program.

Xinhe ranked first in the battalion of 100 JROTC cadets and currently serves as cadet battalioncommander.

With her outstanding performance, she was nominated for the place by Shiffer. "She is a highly disciplined student who always puts a maximum effort into everything she does and achieves outstanding results," he wrote.

"I am confident she will be highly successful as a Naval Academy cadet and continue to be a leader among peers."

To Shiffer's expectation, Julia won a place at the academy, where only 1,500 appointments are given out each year to 4,000 candidates having received nominations.

"My academics are a priority. I think Major Shiffer saw in me that I'm still trying and I'm still challenging myself. Studying is my job. I have friends that are smart, but some of them don't try," she said.

The academic rigors are something Julia was accustomed to in her native country, before moving to the U.S. in 2012. She ranked 32nd out of 7,000 students at the end of her 6th-grade year in China.

"In China, you take tests to get selected into the different junior and senior high schools," she said.

"She would often wake up at three or four in the morning to study. She knows what she needs to do," her mother said.

Julia's father also encouraged her to pursue her interests. "She has strong skills that an institution like the Navy can appreciate and make good use of." he said.

Julia joined a variety of activities, including JROTC drill team, color guard and rifle team. She's also a Red Cross certified lifeguard and works during the summer at the Pine Grove community swimming pool.

"I'm extremely flattered I got accepted," she said.

(Source: Global Times/Translated and edited by Women of China)

Editor: Eileen Cheng(wonmen of China)