Dave met his wife Joan at the Academy during a Halloween dance. Unfortunately, he lost Joan to ovarian cancer in 2011. Dave is currently walking solo across the United States along National Road and Route 50 from New Jersey to San Francisco in her memory and to raise awareness for ovarian cancer research. You can follow his journey, which began last February, on his blog. He could definitely use our support to find lodging along the way.

She was a friend to many a midshipman, a sponsor to dozens, a friend to all at the Little Campus Inn and an honorary member of the Class of 1958. Now, Annapolis would like to recognize her legacy by adding “Peggy Kimbo Way” as an honorary name for Maryland Avenue for the late “Miss Peggy.”

Over their spring break, midshipmen from the Midshipman Action Group went to Tulsa, OK to volunteer with three local schools with inspiring STEM projects for two elementary and middle schools and a big garden building with the Street School, a non-profit for high-risk students earning their high school diploma.

The U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association and Foundation is providing vital resources and support to the Naval Academy for the “right reasons—delivering the right results.” This work touches everyone in the Brigade of Midshipmen and, through them, the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Marine Corps and the future of our nation. Download your copy of the 2012 report here.

Circa 1961, this slightly strange video shows the 5-through-14 year old sons of Naval Academy staff competing in the Junior Boxing Finals. “These bantams are game little scrappers,” the narrator said. “Learning to dish it out and take it at an early age is Navy tradition.”

The DC SACC is on May 23rd and 24th. We are expecting more than 600 alumni from the five federal service academies and 100 companies and universities. This is an outstanding opportunity to meet company representatives and alumni from a variety of industries. Dave LaGassa ’91, managing vice president at Capital One, will discuss his transition from Navy nuclear officer to the financial services industry during the candidate luncheon. We hope to see you in DC!

She is the reigning two-time Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year, leading Navy to its third straight appearance in the NCAA tournament, she had tallied 98 points and 54 assists and was leading Division I players with 6.5 points per game. MIDN Jasmine DePompeo ’13, future Navy pilot, recently sat down with sports writer Gary Lambrecht to discuss how she found lacrosse, why she has a “travel bug” and what the future holds.

One aspect of being a Naval Academy alum that is vastly stronger than many other colleges and universities is the connection to one’s class (and the continued growth of that bond over the years). For their reunion this year, the Class of 1998 has decided to focus their class gift on the efforts of their classmate, Jake Harriman, a former Marine who decided to dedicate his life on eradicating extreme poverty via his non-profit Nuru International. (Shipmate featured Nuru in “Seeds of Change” in the September/October 2009 issue.)

In the past, midshipmen have taken part in the DC-based Honor Flight program that brings World War II veterans to the Capital. In March, Arizona veterans came to the Academy for a tour and to interact with mids in Dahlgren, two attendees being Naval Academy grads and submariners: CAPT Archie Kelley ’41, USN (Ret.), and LCDR Ben Selph ’99, USN.

Three USNA grads (Bob Martinazzi ’91, Jay Murphy ’93 and Rob Ballister ’94) have launched USNA SICK CALL in order to foster support for graduates suffering from cancer and other serious diseases. The site can connect ill alumni with other alumni who may have already won their battles with similar illnesses. There are no dues, donations or financial obligations of any kind associated with this effort. They just want to help as many fellow alumni as possible.

Did you know that your six degrees of separation to Yoda is closer than you expected? CDR Kevin Blenkhorn ’91, USN, is an instructor in the Computer Science Department, but in a previous work life he was one of the creators of CGI Yoda in the most recent Star Wars films while at Industrial Light and Magic.

According to our records, you just might be. If you update your alumni profile, we can help you keep in touch with classmates, get the right Academy news to you more quickly and celebrate the fact that you left ensign in your wake many moons ago. A belated BZ from us!

She was in Annapolis for a State House ceremony when Governor Martin O’Malley signed the Veterans Full Employment Act into law for legislation to help veterans get professional credentials and licenses for their service to help them transition to civilian professions. The First Lady also attended noon meal formation and had lunch in King Hall with the midshipmen. (Her cousin, LTJG Marcus Robinson, is Class of 2008)

CAPT Thomas Hudner ’47, USN (Ret.) is still not accustomed to the term Hero. We are though. He was awarded the Medal of Honor during the Korean War, is one of our Distinguished Graduate Award recipients and is one of only four living namesakes of a BIW destroyer since the USS Arleigh Burke was commissioned in 1991. The USS Thomas Hudner will be commissioned in Boston in 2016. He recently spoke at the Maine Maritime Museum about his career and what the Medal of Honor has meant to him!