Andrew Grantham, 18, a former Mount Si High School student and Valley resident, has been appointed to the United States Naval Academy.

Sen. Roger Wicker called Grantham at his school in Laurel, Miss., congratulating him on the achievement.

Grantham’s decision to join the academy dates back to then he was 9 years old, when during a visit to his family in North Bend, he said he wanted to be the first man on Mars.