"It's exciting. ... It's just something I've never felt," Moore said. "Everyone is surprised, excited. My parents are ecstatic. It's definitely a great feeling."
Of course, there is some fear of the unknown. "It's tough to be a high school senior and you won't have your summer vacation," he admitted. "Instead I'm going into the military. I think it would be a bit intimidating for any 18-year-old. But I'm excited about it.
"I think it's the way to be the best possible version of myself," he added.
Moore, a captain on the varsity football and wrestling teams (and an All-League pick in both sports), is set to start his adventure on July 3 - Reception Day (or R Day).
"For me, this is the way to go about it," he said. "It's definitely an interesting challenge, really a new level of being the best person I can. After that, I may go into engineering. I have time to think about that."
Naturally, Moore's mom also has some mixed feelings. "It's an honor," Kerri Padilla Moore said. "We're patriotic... but I do love my son, and at times his dad and I kept our mouths shut - that was for him to make that decision.
"It's a huge commitment," she added. "But we love him, support him and we're happy for him. Of course, there's always that little 'mother' piece - that wants to be protective of my son. But I have to trust in God that he'll be protected."
Moore said part of his motivation to serve came from his experience being a captain on the Lakeland wrestling team. "When I first became a captain on the wrestling team I got my first taste of leading," he said. It was a good feeling."
He also likes the idea of doing something positive for the country. "You're there for a different purpose than going to regular college," he said. "You're doing something more for your country. My Grandpa was always a role model, too, he served and I always looked up to him."
Moore received nominations from Congresswoman Nita Lowey and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and had to complete many essays during the year-long application process.
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