The young men were nominated by U.S. Rep. Zoe Lofgren to attend two of the nation's most prestigious military academies, the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in New York and the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado. For Lomeli and Magram it's been a dream they have pursued through hard work and determination.

In addition to applying directly to their academies of choice, the two 18-year-olds had to go through a parallel application process for congressional nomination. This involved writing letters to Lofgren, California senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, and obtaining recommendations. Then the teens appeared before a panel of interviewers selected by Lofgren and made up of educators, military and community representatives.

Lofgren says she personally reviewed all of this year's applications before nominating the 13 young men and women from California's 16th Congressional District. The teens had applied to West Point or the air force or naval academies.

The two Willow Glen teens, she says, struck her with their glowing recommendations, excellent academic skills and leadership experience as well as their proven ability to show initiative and take responsibility. She saw them as candidates with the potential to achieve high-ranking future careers in the armed services.

"We need people with ethics and people with leadership skills and great character so that they can lead our troops not only strongly but ethically," Lofgren says.

Flying high

Magram had previously applied for the nomination in 2004, during his senior year in high school. When he didn't get it, he enrolled in De Anza College, focused on his grade- point average and applied again in 2005.

His mother, Cathy Loughman, says her son worked hard to achieve his goal.

"This year he was so much more organized and so much more focused, he knew exactly what he needed to do," she says.

Magram's persistence paid off. He received the principal nomination among the nominees, which meant he was practically guaranteed a spot in the military institution of his choice, the U.S. Air Force Academy.

"It was elating," he says. "My reaction was to walk around my neighborhood calling down my cell phone list."

He received his final acceptance letter from the academy in April.

Magram, who has no family members in the military, dreamt of joining the Air Force since he was 12 years old.

"I thought that flying in a fast jet would be very cool, so why not do that," he says with a grin.

But as he matured, Magram's desire to join the Air Force was based on more than outward symbols of glamour and heroism. He wanted to serve others, he says, much like police officers and firemen dedicate themselves to serving their community.

At the age of 13, he joined the local squadron of the Civil Air Patrol, the official civilian auxiliary of the Air Force. Its teen program, which meets at San Jose's Reid-Hillview Airport once a week, proved to be a valuable training ground.

Lt. Col. Jerry Horne, who has known Magram for four years, says he has seen him mature from a somewhat quiet young man into a self-assured individual with strong leadership skills. In his time at Squadron 36, Horne says, Magram organized projects, led hundreds of other cadets and served as cadet squadron commander for a year.

The squadron's deputy commander, Capt. Mike Hodges, is not the least surprised that he was nominated by Lofgren and accepted by the Air Force Academy.

"He's pretty much able to handle anything that gets thrown at him," Hodges says. "There is nothing average about that young man, I can tell you that for sure. He's remarkably bright and has the ability to focus like a laser beam."

His five years at the Civil Air Patrol not only played a big role in his nomination, but they also prepared him well for what lies ahead, Magram says.

"That program was the most helpful I've ever done," he says. "It teaches a lot of self-discipline and leadership."

After a five-week boot camp, he will start the academic year in early August, pursuing a bachelor's degree in behavioral sciences with a minor in Arabic. With weekends reserved for training activities and a large part of his summers spent with additional coursework, he knows he won't be in for a traditional college experience that includes late night parties and sleeping until noon.

But trading such diversions in for a top-notch education with flying lessons makes it well worth it, Magram says. He is also well aware that the ultimate price may end up being much higher.

Because he will have to commit to at least eight years of military service--10 if he chooses to be a pilot--he realizes that he might find himself in combat one day.

While Magram's mother draws solace from the idea that political tensions will ease up by the time her son graduates, he says he's willing to accept whatever's ahead of him.

"It's a job for 10 years," he says. "If I really didn't want to do that, I wouldn't have applied in the first place."

Giving back

Like Magram, Lomeli knows the prospect of going into combat one day is an real part of his career choice. He will serve in the army for a minimum of five years after graduating from West Point.

Lomeli says taking the military route was a conscious decision, and he's ready to face whatever lies ahead.

"If the time came and they needed me to fight I would not hesitate at all," he says. "It doesn't scare me; life can end at any moment; we just have to continue with it."

Lomeli's attitude reflects his family's deep spirituality, which parents Sylvia and Alex Lomeli say helps them cope with feelings of anxiety that, despite their pride for their son, creep in every once in a while.

"It's a joy all around to the family," Alex Lomeli says. "We know the consequences but we're willing to put in God's hands whatever happens."

Her son's decision to pursue a career with the military sometimes scares her, his mother says. But she draws peace from the fact that he has realized his dream.

"Because he's happy and he's accomplishing what he wants to do in his own life, it makes us happy," she says.

While none of Lomeli's family is in the military and he was never in ROTC, he's been interested in the subject his whole life.

"One thing I admire in the military is that it's not about the individual," he says, "it's doing what's best for everyone else."

His desire to serve, Lomeli says, is engrained in his appreciation for his country as well as in his gratitude for the opportunities he's had in life--opportunities his parents never had.

"My family is a model for where hard work can get you," he says.

He watched his parents work to save up so they could purchase a home and move the family out of their small downtown San Jose apartment. His parents also made sure their children received a good education.

Lomeli is the first in his family to attend college. Throughout his childhood he's had a strong drive to learn and absorb information, devouring book after book, Sylvia Lomeli says. And as a teen, he regularly watched news and political shows on TV, forming an early taste for politics.

When Lomeli returned from an eighth-grade trip to Washington, D.C., he declared to his parents that he wanted to pursue a career in politics and attend West Point.

"He regarded it as a good opportunity to get his foot in the door," his mother says.

Once he had his heart set on West Point, Lomeli took all the necessary steps to make it a reality. He maintained a 4.0 GPA throughout high school. He took advanced placement classes, was active in numerous school and church organizations and exercised two hours each day.

"I've been preparing in every way I can," he says. "I'm ready for whatever they are going to throw at me. I want to do great things with my life, and I can do that only where I can work hard."

His ultimate goal is to attend graduate school, study international relations and help develop foreign policies.

Having left Willow Glen just weeks ago, Lomeli and Magram are beginning a new chapter in their lives, but those who know them best see a promising future ahead.

"I don't have any doubts that Ray will be running for office," his father says. "I don't know at what level, but he'll eventually be a politician, that's for sure."

Hodges is filled with optimism about Magram after watching his protege grow during his years at the Civil Air Patrol.

"If he decides to stick with the military he could be a general if he wanted to," he says. "Whatever he ends up doing he's going to be very successful at it."