For aspirational young Butler County residents, the second time may be the charm.

So far this year, a second attempt succeeded for two Butler County natives who were nominated by U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly, R-16th, for admission to military academies. One, Brett Brady, 19, learned during an emotional phone call with Kelly Monday night that he will be enrolling at the U.S. Naval Academy.

“My mom said, 'You're going to get a phone call tonight. Make sure you answer it.' I didn't really think much of it at the time,” Brady said.

At the end of January, the other student, Maya Wirtz, 19, heard that she'd been accepted at both the U.S. Air Force Academy and the U.S. Military Academy.

Last year, both students received a “thin, white letter in the mail,” as Wirtz put it, stating that their preferred academies hadn't accepted them. Brady enrolled in an aeronautical engineering program at Purdue University and Wirtz is studying mechanical engineering at Penn State New Kensington.

Those will only be temporary gigs, it seems.

“This year, I've gotten much thicker envelopes,” Wirtz said.

Brady's news is still rippling through his relatives and friends in Butler County. Those close to Brady, a 2018 Butler Senior High School graduate, know the naval academy is his dream.

His mom, Sheila Brady, said it was obvious when they toured the academy in 2017.

“It was a very special time for us, watching Brett as we walked the dormitories and halls,” Sheila Brady said. “He just said, 'Yeah, this is where I want to be.”

She said her son was disappointed last year, but stayed determined.

“I believe God has a plan for each of us,” Sheila Brady said. “As much as we wanted it last year, it wasn't his time. Now his time is here.”

Brady was an accomplished athlete in Butler. He received several state-level honors in cross country, hockey and golf.

Rick Davanzati, the head boys and girls cross country coach at Butler, marveled at Brady's ability to balance life.

“If I had to count the top five or so kids I've coached in terms of athletic ability and academic ability combined, he's easily in the top few,” Davanzati said. “And I've coached here for 40 years.”

During his freshman year at Perdue, Brady has been running for a club team. He said he's already in touch with the track and cross country coach at the academy.

His older brother, Beau Bechtel, inspired his path when he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps.

“Just seeing how the Marines changed him into the person he is today, it was just eye opening,” Brady said.

Wirtz, a fellow cross country runner and a swimmer, graduated from Knoch High School last year.

She said she spent the last year improving her resume in the hopes that she'd make it in. She did ROTC during her first semester of college, but still has some nerves about adjusting to college life.

“I know it's going to be really hard,” she said. “It's probably the most daunting four years of my life, but it'll probably be the more rewarding too.”

Admission to a U.S. Military Academy requires congressional nomination. Each member of Congress can have only five constituents in each academy at a time.

Kelly nominated Brady and Wirtz last year. He did it again this year, along with 16 other students.

“If you look at what Brett has done, and not just in school, this is a guy who is just so well rounded,” Kelly said Tuesday. “And you find the exact same thing with Maya. These are kids who live a well-rounded life.”

Recent acceptance rates at the Naval Academy, Air Force Academy and U.S. Military Academy are 12 percent, 12 percent and 10 percent, respectively, according to Kelly's office.

Both Brady and Wirtz are happy they made it, even if it took two tries.

“If you're committed to it, just keep trying,” Brady said. “If you want to go that route, you can do it.”