McLUNEY — Students like Grayson Houk are rare in this current climate of big egos, content creators and self promotion.
When others his age were chasing different interests, not all on the savory side, the recent Crooksville graduate was already thinking — and acting — with the future in mind.
It was all spawned from a visit to the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, during a family vacation as a child.
“I thought the Academy looked like a fun place to visit,” Houk recalled. “And the second I stepped on the yard, I said, ‘this is a place I want to go.’ From then on, it was just figuring stuff out.”
And that was precisely what the only son of Scott and Erica Houk did, with plenty of help along the way.
Houk recently became the first Crooksville native and first Crooksville High graduate to be accepted into the Academy, which accepts around 1,200 students per year. He was in a pool of 16,077 applicants for the Class of 2029 — an acceptance rate of just 9 percent.
Entrance not only requires exemplary academic standing — Houk was salutatorian of his class — but two letters of recommendation from state Congressmen or U.S. Senators. His were written by Ohio Congressman Troy Balderson from Zanesville and Sen. Jon Husted, respectively.
The process began in January 2025, which required applications to all four congressional nominations — Husted, Balderson, Ohio Sen. Bernie Moreno and Vice President J.D. Vance — that summer.
He learned of his acceptance while running track in a triangular at Morgan High School in April.
“Their athletic director (Tara Newton) got on (the public address system) and told the whole stadium what happened,” said Scott Houk, who serves as Crooksville’s boys and girls track coach. “They were just so proud. … He’s got so many people in his corner, it’s ridiculous.
The enormity of it all has really hit him as the days near for his departure. He plans to major in either nuclear engineering or aerospace engineering, with eyes on someday flying F-35s.
“It has just been, ‘wow, this is my dream school,'” Houk said. “And now, like the overall goal of the Academy is hitting me. Like, I am really going to be commissioned as an officer once I get out there. I’m doing this to be the best version of myself and to help serve my nation. And the overall military aspect is hitting me and getting real. There are days I wake up and I still can’t believe it.”
Walking the walk
The exhaustive application process was handled mostly by his mom and Crooksville’s Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Alea Barker.
Barker called Houk, “without exception, one of the most honorable students I have encountered in my 32 years of being an educator.”
“Observing Grayson participate in the selection process for the U.S. Naval Academy reiterated to me the stamina and fortitude that he truly exhibits as a human being,” Barker said. “The quest for selection was a never-ending effort where he was forced to exhibit every skill and ability he has been gifted with, from a higher power, in my humble opinion.”
That included the submission of essays and conversations with governmental representatives. He did so while maintaining a full high school schedule with college credit plus courses, in addition to being his class president and a member of The Community Bank Board. He also ran indoor and outdoor track, where he was a state qualifier in the 400 meters and set a new school record in 2026.
He also advocated for blood donation as a student ambassador for the American Red Cross and once organized a breakfast for a fellow student fighting cancer.
“(Grayson) is just an outstanding human being,” Barker said. “He demonstrates this daily in his walk, his attitude, in his love for life, in his grit and in his ‘others before self’ attitude. … It’s those small things that are actually big things that will carry him to achieve all his dreams.”
Houk’s consistency on a daily basis has been uplifting.
“It causes us to reach inside ourselves and want to be better just by being with him, watching him and feeling him find the success he has worked so hard to achieve,” Barker said.
Erica Houk admitted she wasn’t completely on board with the decision at first, but soon warmed up to it. When they made their visits to Annapolis, she saw a different smile on Grayson’s face that showed how much he wanted to be there.
“To see him be able to achieve and attain something that he has worked his butt off for, for four years — he has sacrificed going out, doing some maybe silly things with friends to stay home and make sure he doesn’t get in trouble,” Erica Houk said. “He has worked his butt off to keep his grades up and to work on his physicality and his athletics. I just can’t be prouder as a parent.”
Yearning to serve started early
Houk said he had an interest in the military and wanted to be a public servant since the days of his childhood. It started when he would listen to his great-uncle and Congressional Medal of Honor winner, Ron Rosser, tell stories of his service time.
The visit to Annapolis, years later, only further drove that feeling home.
It was the latest step in a journey that figures to only be beginning. Houk said he plans on making a career out of his Navy venture.
That, of course, requires substantial physical training to prepare for Naval testing. He and Crooksville strength and conditioning coach Matt McIntyre have worked in lockstep to create a program to prepare him for what lies ahead in the coming months.
Houk, who also played basketball, has made noticeable physical gains in the past two years. That meant a plethora of workouts on his own time, even on spring break and holidays. It helped mold him into a respected leader among teammates and classmates alike.
It’s also a big reason why his dad feels confident that he is prepared for what is coming around the mountain.
“I have no doubt,” Scott Houk said. “He has put his nose to the grindstone since he made this decision six or seven years ago. He has done everything that is asked of him and beyond. It’s just a great honor, as a parent, to realize that your kids want to go to the military. There is no greater honor for a parent wanting to see your child serve others for a living. That’s their ambition in life.”
Houk has been in contact with the track and field coaches at Navy and is contemplating a running career as a walk-on.
He hopes to blaze a trail for others in small towns like Crooksville to follow.
“I hope there are kids in two, three years that are applying, because nobody around here knows about service academies, and that is what I have learned over this long journey,” he said. “Nobody knows about. There is not enough representation and knowledge around any of it, whether it’s Naval Academy, West Point (New York), Coast Guard, Marines, Air Force. Like, no one.
“I just hope people see this and look into it, and even if they don’t apply, just look into it,” he added. “Have the knowledge of it and tell other people about it. It’s such a great opportunity.”
sblackbu@usatodayco.com; X: @SamBlackburnTR
This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: From Crooksville to Annapolis, Grayson Houk earns historic appointment
Reporting by Sam Blackburn, Zanesville Times Recorder / Zanesville Times Recorder
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Sam Blackburn, Zanesville Times Recorder | USA TODAY Network
