On June 6, Ambassador Carmen G. Cantor attended the graduation ceremony at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic High School to present a United States Coast Guard Academy certificate of appointment to Andrew "Andy" Sipos. Andy becomes the fourth citizen from the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) to gain acceptance into this esteemed institution. He intends to major in Marine and Environmental Science at the academy. Andy is the son of Mr. Michael Sipos and Mrs. Maiumy Halbert Sipos.
Before attending Our Lady of Mercy Catholic High School, Andy graduated with first honors from Pohnpei Catholic School, where he was also on the Principal’s list for distinguished students. An accomplished tennis player, he has competed both regionally and internationally in Guam and Fiji. In 2018, he received a scholarship from the U.S. Department of Interior to attend Junior State of America advanced placement courses at Stanford University in California. The following year, Andy participated in the Habele & U.S. Department of Interior Robotics Competition, earning second place recognition. Additionally, he was honored by Pohnpei State Department of Education with an Outstanding Academic Excellence Award.
The Compact of Free Association allows the FSM government to nominate candidates for admission to various U.S. Service Academies: Naval Academy, Air Force Academy, Coast Guard Academy, U.S. Army's Military Academy (West Point), and Merchant Marines' Academy (Kings Point). This program provides a full bachelor's degree scholarship for selected FSM citizens.