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In this episode, your host Grant Vermeer speaks with Karl Smith the creator of the blog My Kid the Mid and the author of the book Anchored in Tradition.

Karl is a USNA parent (Noah '20) and has a daughter exploring attending service academies.  (She chose to attend the Air Force Academy)

He has been of great service to the USNA parent community through his book, blog, and parent facebook pages.

We talk about his journey as a naval academy parent and his book. He started his career as a writer, so it only seemed fitting to him that he eventually write a book. When his son entered the United States Naval Academy and he began to become familiar with all the history, legend and lore surrounding the place, that seemed like the perfect topic to tackle. The result is “Anchored In Tradition: An unofficial collection of fun, facts, and figures about life at the United States Naval Academy.”

The book is written in a breezy style and constructed so that a reader can practically open to any page and jump right in. I encourage you to get a copy! You may order a copy easily on amazon via this link https://amzn.to/2sflWyR.

Karl is a great conversationalist, storyteller, and dedicated parent.  He is honest, authentic and funny and shares so much tremendous wisdom and insight for everyone around navigating the academy journey.


Karl recommends the book Chester Midshipmouse by Susan Weisberg.  You can purchase it at

The Vermeer Group is a residential real company matching military families with trusted real estate teams across the country.  If you have any real estate questions at all, please text Grant at (650) 282-1964 or email [email protected]

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The mission of Academy Insider is to guide, serve, and support Midshipmen, future Midshipmen, and their families.

Grant Vermeer your host is the person who started it all. He is the founder of Academy Insider and the host of The Academy Insider podcast. He was a recruited athlete which brought him to Annapolis where he was a four year member of the varsity basketball team. He was a cyber operations major and commissioned into the Cryptologic Warfare Community. He was stationed at Fort Meade and supported the Subsurface Direct Support mission.

He separated from the Navy in 2023 and now owns The Vermeer Group, a residential real estate company that matches service academy families with trusted real estate teams all across the country. Text (650) 282-1964 with any real estate questions.

We are here to be your guide through the USNA experience.

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