Grant Hopkins graduates from U.S. Naval Academy
By Sarah Owens
For Grant Hopkins, the journey from Alabaster City Schools to the United States Naval Academy began with basketball, but it ended with something much bigger.
The 2021 Thompson High School graduate recently completed four years at the prestigious service academy in Annapolis, Maryland, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in political science and a commission as an Ensign in the United States Navy. Along the way, he balanced the demands of Division I athletics, rigorous academics and military training while developing the leadership skills that will guide him into his next chapter. “Basketball was kind of like my foot in the door,” Hopkins says. “It was a very hard school to get into, so definitely athletics definitely played a big role in me getting accepted.”
While the opportunity to continue his basketball career helped attract him to the academy, Hopkins quickly discovered life there was unlike any traditional college experience. “It was definitely an adjustment period the first year,” he says. “But honestly, I grew to appreciate the Academy a lot, because the different walks of life, all the people you meet, just that in itself, and just a different lifestyle you have to get acclimated to from the rigorous schedule every day.”
The transition included military boot camps, intense academic requirements and learning to operate in a highly structured environment. Even after attending the Naval Academy Preparatory School before arriving in Annapolis, Hopkins admitted there were moments when he questioned whether he belonged. “One hundred percent,” he says when asked if he ever doubted the decision. “At first I was just like, man, there’s no way, no way I do this.”
Over time, however, he embraced the challenge.
The academy requires all students to complete a demanding core curriculum that includes subjects ranging from calculus and chemistry to physics and engineering, regardless of their major. Hopkins says balancing those responsibilities while competing in collegiate basketball required discipline and strong time-management skills. “It’s really important to stay on top of your schedule, which, the Academy, it’s kind of what it does,” he says. “It throws a lot at you, but it’s so you can learn how to manage your time, manage what you need to do, put priorities on things.”
Beyond academics and athletics, Hopkins was active in campus organizations and leadership roles. He served as secretary of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, participated in the Midshipman Black Studies Club and held several leadership positions within the Academy’s 10th Company, including Operations Sergeant, Drill Officer, Squad Leader and Protocol Officer.
Despite spending the past several years in Maryland, Hopkins says his roots in Alabaster continue to shape who he is today. “Alabaster, it’s big, but it’s also a tight-knit community,” he says. “It’s grown over the years, but it’s almost like the Academy. You’re just exposed to people, different walks of life. In my opinion, it’s a very all-around place. Like, sports are good, you have a good community around, you have a good school around. And so just growing up, my whole life, I feel like I had good opportunity.”
He credits both teachers and coaches from his time in Alabaster City Schools for helping mold him into the person he is today. “They had great impact in my life,” Hopkins says. “Just helping me develop as a man. Those relationships will always last a lifetime.”
This fall, Hopkins will report to Norfolk, Virginia, where he will begin training as a Surface Warfare Officer before serving aboard an amphibious ship. As a newly commissioned officer, he is eager to begin leading sailors and putting his academy training into practice. “I’m really excited to get my hands on deck,” he says. “Leading people and impacting their lives in a positive manner.”
As he prepares for the next stage of his military career, Hopkins hopes younger students keep an open mind about their futures and focus on the values that helped him succeed. “I think you have to be willing to put the work in when no one’s watching,” he says, “and honestly, I’m pretty big on my faith, and I think that keeping God centered in a lot of your decisions is what really carries you through.”
For the 23-year-old Alabaster native, that path has already taken him from Thompson High School to one of the nation’s most respected military institutions—and now into service as an officer in the United States Navy.