BECKLEY, W. Va. (WVVA) – United States Senator Shelley Moore Capito stopped in Beckley on Sunday for southern West Virginia's "Academy Day".

It was an event created to highlight various military academies across the state.

Senator Shelley Moore Capito said she created Academy Days to prepare students for the rigorous process of applying to the United States service academies.

"We want to get our West Virginia best and brightest students in, so today is to really make sure, our students know about these opportunities, see what it takes and then help….let us help them be successful," said Senator Capito.

Sydney Sheets, a student at Midland Trail High School, said she appreciates access to professionals who can help her reach her goal of getting into the naval academy.

"A lot of times we don't get a lot of the information told to us to help us and having this opportunity is just great so we know exactly what we want to do and how to get to where we want to go," said Sheets.

The event also highlights Reserve Officer Training Core (ROTC) programs, like Woodrow Wilson High School.

Matthew Shafer, a Cadet with Marshall's ROTC program said, it prepares students for the military.

"To forge our nation's leaders we have to start by taking who they were, breaking them down and building them back up, right," said Shafer. "So ROTC does that by taking them from either their first year if they're not prior enlisted, to their third year, if they were prior enlisted and we start teaching them basically how the military operates."

Jacob Walker and Theron Brown are both members of Woodrow Wilson High School's ROTC program. They said the program helped them prepare for a future in the service.

"It's a good thing to have people around…get them to learn about the army or military in general," said Brown.

"I feel like it's the best way for me to grow as a person is for me to join the military and learn from all different types of cultures and religions," said Walker.

Walker enlisted in the military and will ship out in June of 2022. Brown is aiming to attend the army academy at West Point.

Anyone who did not get a chance to attend Sunday's Academy Day is encouraged to contact Senator Capito or Manchin, Congresswoman Carol Miller, or their representative.

They can also visit the academy's websites they're interested in to learn more about the admissions process.