PA Cyber graduate appointed to USMA West Point

SCRANTON, Pa., May 7, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Her college ROTC commander said the U.S. Military Academy at West Point would be making a big mistake if it didn't offer an appointment to Hannah Tuffy of Scot Township near Scranton.

West Point got the point. Hannah Tuffy will be a member of the incoming corps of cadets this fall.

Dr. Nick Trombetta, PA Cyber's CEO, said she is the first graduate of the Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School to win appointment to the Academy.

Lt. Col. Thomas, commander of the ROTC program at Cedarville (Ohio) University, wrote in his nomination: "She is smart, physically strong and mentally tough.  . . I would be remiss if I do not comment on her personal strength and peer leadership.  She has been a cadet in my ROTC Battalion for this one semester and has accomplished more in that one semester than most of the juniors . . . The United States Military Academy will be making a mistake if they do not accept this cadet.  The Army deserves future officers like her."

Thomas gave Hannah his highest recommendation, something he said he has done in an officer evaluation report only one time before in his 27-year Army career.

She is completing her freshman year in pre-medicine studies at Cedarville University in Cedarville, Ohio, where she is a cadet in the university's ROTC program.

Her father, William Tuffy, is a building contractor. Her mother Lisa is an accountant. She has a brother, Wesley, in eighth grade, and a sister, Natalie, in 10th grade.

A 2011 graduate of the Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School, Hannah delivered the commencement address for her class at the school's eastern graduation ceremonies in the Forum at the State Capitol in Harrisburg. Hannah was enrolled in PA Cyber for her final three years of high school.

Hannah also received nominations to West Point from U.S. Sen. Bob Casey and U.S. Rep. Thomas Marino.

Sen. Casey said in his nomination, "You are one of Pennsylvania's most impressive young people, and I believe you will continue to represent our great Commonwealth with dignity and honor."

"We were home-schoolers," said her mother Lisa. "I home-schooled all my children through fifth or sixth grade, then each of them attended private school for a year."

The children were enrolled in a different cyber charter school for one year before switching to PA Cyber.

Hannah enjoyed the freedom of PA Cyber's self-paced courses and used that flexibility to work toward the goal of a military academy appointment, said her mother.

"She had to work her tail off. Hannah is very hard-working and disciplined," said Mrs. Tuffy. "She cancelled her Facebook page because it was just too distracting."

While working on academics in PA Cyber, Hannah participated in high school athletics, running track and  playing basketball and soccer. She earned individual all-state and area MVP honors in soccer for Lakeland High School.

She took full advantage the NNDS Scholarship program at PA Cyber to earn 22 college credits while still in high school, 16 from Lackawanna College and six from the University of Scranton.

Hannah will have a five-year Army service commitment following graduation from West Point, where she plans to major in chemistry or biology. Hannah may go on to medical school, her mother said, but she also has a great desire to become an aircraft pilot.

PA Cyber Charter School is the state's largest and most successful cyber charter school, with 11,000 students enrolled in grades K-12. Based in western Pennsylvania, PA Cyber has support centers and satellite offices throughout the commonwealth. PA Cyber currently is enrolling students for the 2012-2013 school year. Call 1-888.PACYBER (722.9237) or visit the website, www.pacyber.org.

Contact Fred Miller, 724.777.5918

SOURCE PA Cyber Charter School