Featured Firstie: 1/C Kenna Pierce

  POSTED ON: Friday, May 12, 2023 12:23 PM by mediarelations@usna.edu

This week’s Firstie Friday is Midshipman 1st Class (senior) Kenna Pierce from Canton, Mississippi. A stellar member of 3rd Company, Pierce also serves as the 1st Battalion executive officer. He is the USNA Gospel Choir president, a part of the Baptist Collegiate Ministry, and a member of Midshipman Black Studies Club. He also comes from a Navy family as his father and grandfather both enlisted, and Pierce was determined to carry on the legacy. 

An active midshipman around the yard, Pierce attributes his leadership to the amazing people he has met during his time at USNA. “As I reflect during these last few days until commissioning, I have come to the notion that every great leader takes care of their people, does the right job every day, and simply makes a difference.” As a recipient of the Navy-Marine Corps Leadership Award in 2020, Pierce likes to carry himself by the quote, “We must be the change that we seek to see in the world.” 

One of his fondest memories was serving in the Admissions Office for the Naval Academy Summer Seminar program. Pierce remarks, “Before coming to the Naval Academy, I attended Summer Seminar, and it served as a driving force to my desire to attend this institution and serve my country. Seeing the excitement, thrill, and eagerness that candidates had throughout the summer served as a full-circle experience for me.”

Pierce looks forward to making the most of every moment left in these last seven days until commissioning with his classmates, friends, and fellow Midshipmen. He will commission into the Surface Warfare community in May 2023. 

Category: General Interest, Midshipman