Growing up, Rolando Machado Jr., dreamed of becoming an astronaut.

But after, Sept 11, 2001, his dream changed: He wanted to serve his country.

Today he is at the Naval Academy studying to become an officer.

Other South Miami-Dade students have the same goal and U.S. Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart is hosting the second annual Academy Day this Saturday to help give them the know-how on applying to one of the military academies.

Students ''will have the opportunity to ask questions, meet men and women in uniform, and ultimately, make a decision on whether or not the service is the path they want to take,'' said Adriana Pereira in Diaz-Balart's office.

The event will be at the Homestead Air Reserve Base, 29050 Coral Sea Blvd., from 8:30 a.m. to about noon.

Students who attend Academy Day will receive a complimentary breakfast.

They'll speak to representatives from the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Merchant Marines and Coast Guard about academy life and learn how to apply.

In order to be accepted into an academy, students need a recommendation from either the student's congressman, a senator or the vice president.

To receive a recommendation, students need to fill out an application packet which includes demographic information, their grade point average, SAT and ACT scores, a transcript and three letters of recommendation.

The deadline for applications is Nov. 1.

Applicants then have to go through an interview with a nomination board before being selected.

Machado said all the hard work was worth it to get accepted.

''It's the best decision I've ever made,'' Machado said. ``I have improved myself more in the past three years than I have in my whole life. Everyone here is of great character and that's very humbling.''

His original dream was to graduate from the Naval Academy so he could become an astronaut.

''That's where a lot of astronauts graduated from,'' Machado said.

But then the terrorists attacked.

''I remember watching TV and seeing the [World Trade Center] towers fall,'' he said. ``After that, I made the Naval Academy my goal and from then on it was a pursuit to do whatever I needed to do to get into the Naval Academy,''

Machado's advice for anyone who is interested in the academy is ``do your research, find out as much as you can, always persevere, don't worry about the people around you, just worry about yourself. Never stop trying to be the best, if you want it bad enough, you'll get it.''

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