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Sky Is The Limit For Long Island Teen Accepted To Three Service Academies

NEW YORK(CBSNewYork) -- The sky is the limit for a Long Island teenager.

Brittany Dowling, 17, of Oceanside wanted to follow a family tradition and serve her country. Dowling has been a student pilot for the last two years, but now she will have a chance to soar to stunning new heights.

As CBS 2's Scott Rapoport reported, the aspiring military aviator has been accepted to the Naval, Air Force, and Coast Guard academies.

"I wanted to get a chance to serve my country," she said.

Some have referred to Dowling's academic achievement as the trifecta. Getting into three service academies is like getting into Harvard, Princeton, and Yale. Applicants need a congressional nomination just to be considered.

"You can get it from your congressperson, senator, the vice president, or the president," Dowling explained.

Dowling got hers from her congressman and senator. She said that the hardest part of the process was deciding which academy to attend. In the end she chose to go to Annapolis.

"I like the tradition. The military tradition. I like the history of the Navy," the Oceanside High School senior explained.

Dowling said that her interest in the military and the Navy is a family thing.

"My uncle is in the Navy. My cousin is in the Navy. My grandfather was in the Navy," she said.

Brittany, an aviation operations student at Nassau BOCES, said that her ultimate goal is to fly jets or helicopters for the Navy.

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