One of Bridgeport High School’s most prominent alumni on the education front is walking away from his post-secondary education at West Virginia University at the end of the current semester. He is, essentially, throwing away 31 college credits and a sophomore classification in Morgantown.

 

It is not that Hall is tired of school. It is not that he is struggling with the transition in the second semester of his first year.

 

He is walking away because of a recent Thursday morning email that made the decision for him. And he could not be happier.

 

If you are confused, do not be. We will get you to why Ryan Hall, who was also a standout athlete for the Indians during his time wearing the red and white, could not be happier about tossing 31 credit hours into the educational trash bin.

 

“When I woke up on (that) Thursday morning, I saw I had two emails from (the United States Naval Academy). My phone was locked with face ID so I got up and opened it quickly to read it. Honestly, I wasn’t sure if what I was reading was real,” Hall said. “I got on my computer and looked at it, and it was legitimate.”

 

What was legitimate was that Hall had realized his dream of being appointed to the United States Naval Academy. It was a dream that took a blow after he graduated from BHS and did not receive the appointment and learned on what was basically the last day of notification that his nomination had been turned down.

 

That is what made this email special. The vast majority of individuals getting appointed are out of high school. Hall joined a more exclusive list of email recipients getting the call after sending in a second application, and he knew it.

 

“Once it sunk in, I went in to tell my sister, who was sleeping, and she gets irritated when I wake her, but I didn’t care,” the 2023 BHS graduate said of his sister and roommate Landon. “I tapped her on the forehead and let her know. It was good to see she didn’t mind.”

 

After that, there were two particularly important folks he had to let know. His father Roy and his motherJodii.

 

His father had already texted him that morning and wanted to see a picture of a recent injury to his foot. Ryan’s younger brother Harrison “sneak attacked” Ryan during a spring break visit in Bridgeport and landed on his foot.

 

“My father wanted to make sure nothing was broken, and he wanted a picture. I sent him a picture, but it was of the email from the academy,” said Ryan.

 

In short order, Roy Hall was facetiming his son. He said it was a special moment with his dad.

 

“He got emotional. He was out of town on work and had to go into a private office,” said Ryan. “He told me how proud he was of me, the trajectory my future could have, and he told me giving up those hours, the one year of school, would essentially be a blip in my lifetime.”

 

As for telling his mother, Ryan and his father both agreed it would be best to tell her later when both parents were together. In the interim, he called his older brother Patrick, who also lives in Morgantown to share the news.

 

“He was so excited. It was nice to hear he texted my father that he was super excited, but he was also a little bit sad because of how close we had gotten during my short time in Morgantown,” said Ryan. “I’ll miss that too. We’re going from having the ability to seeing each other every day to where I won’t be seeing anyone for months at a time.”

 

Mom, however, was still in the dark as Ryan headed to Bridgeport. He got his foot x-rayed, and everything was okay. From there, he Facetimed his parents to tell them the x-ray results – and to break the really good news to mom.

 

“She was so happy, and then you saw them both get very emotional. I know they’re happy and proud, but I also know it’s a little upsetting because we’re so close, and here soon I’m not going to be coming home every weekend,” said Ryan. “There is going to be a change that will impact us all, but we’re all okay with it because they know this is what I’ve always wanted.”

 

One of the final pieces of the revelation puzzle was to tell his grandmother, Janice Griffith, also known as “Grammy,” who is his mother’s mother. She arrived to visit Ryan shortly after telling his mother.

 

“She got really emotional as well. It speaks to how proud they are of me, which feels great, but it also speaks to how close we all are,” said Hall.

 

As much as Hall has dreamt of being in this position, he is not sure he would have made a third application if turned down. And not because he did not want it.

 

“You have to look at it from the perspective you’re in. The gamble of giving up 31 hours of credits is not so much to give up because of what I will get there; the education is the best there is,” said Ryan. “Had I been rejected a second time and halfway to a degree, it is very possible I would have had to accept that was ultimately not the place for me.

 

“God has a plan for everyone, and if that’s not mine, I would have accepted it because He knows what I’m supposed to be doing,” he continued. “I probably would have stayed at WVU because at a certain point you have to know when it’s time to lockdown and put complete focus on finishing what you’re doing.”

 

Now, Ryan Hall will have a singular and lockdown focus on the United States Naval Academy. It all begins with Induction Day, which is scheduled the morning of June 27.

 

The day at the Academy is the start of a journey for four years, which is similar to traditional universities. Unlike most universities, various other requirements are much different than a standard state or public university during those four years. There is also a post-graduation commitment for all who complete the four-year gauntlet.

 

“You have a five-year commitment minimum to serve. It can be more than that depending on the field,” said Hall.

 

Hall is not certain what area of study he will go into but believes it will be in one of two areas. He said he would like to get into the medical field or fly planes.

 

“In the academy, medical is not guaranteed. I’ll potentially choose flight, but it’s much longer, a 10-year commitment,” said Ryan. “When you train on the flight systems and the other areas that require so much more intense training, they have to have a return on the time they’re investing in you. I’ll decide once I soak things up a bit so there is not a set plan.”

 

Hall’s initial plan, though, is now in place. It is the one he dreamed about, worked toward, and the one that came to life on a Thursday morning in Morgantown. As much as those that know him are certain he will find success in Maryland, it is likely those same individuals know he would have found an elevated level of success had he remained at WVU. There is just something special about this young man, and he is wanting to share some of what he has learned with others.

 

“There is a senior at Bridgeport who has applied and hasn’t heard anything yet, and it’s close to the time when they let you know,” said Hall. “I told him don’t let this one time, this one thing, define you. If it’s what you truly want, I told him work hard and keep pushing himself and improve on the points you’re not good enough at. No matter what happens after that, if you apply those principles, you’ll find success.”

 

Success for Hall begins in June. The address is 121 Blake Rd, Annapolis, MD 21402. It is the United States Naval Academy where he will be one of roughly 4,500 undergraduates. And the odds are good he will find a way to stand out.

 

Editor's Note: The top photo shows Ryan Hall during a visit to the Naval Academy during high school, while he is shown with his mother Jodii during a recent visit to the Academy. At the same recent visit, in the third photo, Ryan, left, is shown with USNA Class of 1978 graduate John Rudder, the director of corporate and foundation relations, getting information.The fourth photo is a rewind to his senior day on the football field with his mom and father Roy. Bottom photo shows Ryan during his most recent visit.