Aviation High School senior Sean Crowley has been appointed to West Point Military Academy by Congressman Rick Larsen. He is the second AHS student to win an appointment to West Point this year, joining classmate Drew Hidalgo who was appointed last month.

Crowley has earned a 4.0 GPA. He was recognized as a National Merit Commended Scholar and earned an academic letter for each year in high school. He serves as secretary the debate team, which competed in national competition last year.

In addition to playing soccer for 12 years, he runs marathons and consistently places in the top 5 in his division. He works part-time and is actively involved in his church.

A Sultan resident, he commutes to school from where he lives during the week at the home of his grandparents, his father's parents, in Tukwila.

Last summer, Sean participated in leadership seminars at both West Point and the Naval Academy.

Sean's mother, Leah, is a stay at home mom, with his brother, Connor, 12, and Jason, just seven months old. His father, Mark, is a Tukwila firefighter.

In Sean Crowley's words:

"I look up to my dad a lot," said Sean. "There was a point in my life before I decided I wanted to do military that I wanted to do firefighting. It was cool. It was service. I've always been into that kind of thing, serving other people.

My mom is proud of me," he added. "Apparently, I am good with the baby. I don't know why she thinks so.

"I would consider myself friends with Drew," he said. "We have a few classes together and talk.

"I do like science and math, but I am more of a social science type person, to be honest," he said. "I'm interested in the game theory. It deals with the way people react (...) As an officer, it will in some ways help me understand why and how people cooperate.

"I presented my senior project today," he said, "I planned and instructed a two-week fitness class. It was based on the 'Service Academy Candidate Fitness Assessment.' That is the entering fitness test for West Point Academy. A few students in a grade below me looking at the academies participated in my (fitness) class."

According to Military.com, the fitness test is a 40 minute exam that requires the candidates to perform a list of exercises in order, and in accordance to strict time regulations.

In summary, the test is the following:

1) Kneeling Basketball Throw
2) Cadence Pull-Ups
3) 120 ft. Shuttle Run
4) Crunches 1:00
5) Push-Ups 1:00
6) 1-Mile Run

Sean Crowley's mother, Leah:

Sean's mother graduated from Highline High School, his father, her husband, from Tyee.

"In second grade when Aviation High School was first talked about, at that point Sean did consider the Air Force and flying planes," Leah recalled. "I told him, 'You have to be the best of the best' so he worked extremely hard. By eighth grade he filled out the application behind my back and then asked me to send it in. That was all him. After he was interviewed and accepted, we had to ask Grandma and Grandpa if he could move in to actually be involved with the school."

AHS Principal/CEO Reba Gilman

"Sean is one of our most remarkable students,” according to AHS Principal/CEO Reba Gilman. “He has an unwavering commitment to excellence. By any standard, Sean is a true scholar who has proven that he can handle a heavy load and persevere through the toughest of situations.”