The Academy Insider Podcast - Your Guide to The Naval Academy Experience

Send us Fan Mail

Episode 0 - The Trailer

Welcome to the Academy Insider podcast. I'm your host, Grant Vermeer.

The academy insider podcast is for you to get an insider's view of all things related to the United States Naval Academy.

I'm a graduate of the class of 2017 and during my time in Annapolis, I was a cyber operations major, a member of the 26th company and a four-year member of the Navy men's basketball team.

I also had the immense privilege of serving as the regimental commander for the class of 2020's plebe summer, and then I served as the sixth battalion commander during the academic year. I had the most amazing experience at the naval academy and that's crazy because I transitioned from being one of the most homesick and miserable plebes ever to now being a proud graduate to one of the biggest advocates of the naval academy because of my desire to give back to the academy for all that it's given me.

I started a website and a Facebook page back in 2017 right after graduation called academy insider. Through that I learned what my parents had been telling me since I arrived in Annapolis, which is that the academy is a tough place, but if you learn what it's all about and you learn about everything you're going through it makes the journey so much easier.

I found that thousands of people, mostly parents of Midshipman, but also other loved ones, have wanted to learn more about what life is like at the academy and what kind of opportunities, struggles, and stories Midshipmen experience on a daily basis.

Academy insider has grown to over 15,000 followers and 60,000 downloads of this podcast. I get questions from people all over the world about the Naval Academy, it's traditions, the unique terms, and language that we use, how to get in, what it's like and what the midshipman experience is like on a daily basis.

So because of that, I thought the best way to inform and entertain as many people as possible is by sharing stories about the academy through this podcast.

The mission of this podcast is to expose and educate my community of listeners to what the academy is about, how it works, the unique aspects of an elite undergraduate education coming together with the training of young men and women in order to lead sailors and marines as future officers in the United States military. The academy by way of my own failure and through leadership opportunities, internships, basketball, extracurricular activities, some training, and some of the greatest mentors a person could have, provided me with an unparalleled experience and provided me with a bunch of stories that I'm going to share with you.

Through my experience and conversations with amazing guests, I want to give you an inside look into the Naval Academy.

We'll explore its traditions, it's own language and terms and life as a midshipman. We will discuss all topics related to the academy from plebe summer all the way through graduation and commissioning and everything in between through stories all of us have gone through and lived.  While we will in some episodes talk about tough times for midshipmen, me and this podcast at large is a hundred percent pro the naval academy, so be prepared. I'm pretty biased.

I'm a homer and I love the academy.
If you're looking for a show that will be criticizing the academy, you're in the wrong place.

To join me for future episodes so you can learn more about the academy and hear some great stories from me and my guests, follow this podcast.  

To stay most up to date with Grant, Naval Academy updates, and real estate insights, follow him on LinkedIn

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

This podcast is independently produced and reflects the views and opinions of its creators. It is not officially affiliated with, endorsed by, or representative of the United States Naval Academy or its affiliates.

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.

Connect with Grant on Linkedin
Academy Insider Website
Academy Insider Facebook Page

If you ar...