Around 500 high school students in South Orange took their next step to representing their country Saturday.

Academy Day, held at Seton Hall University, featured speeches from Sen. Bob Menendez and Sen. Cory Booker and a color guard presentation.

An information session was also held for students looking to learn about military academies like West Point and the Air Force Academy.

Candidates say the application process is intense, but they were happy to be at the event.

The senators will nominate 10 candidates for the schools. Menendez says this is his 14th year being part of the event, while Booker says it's his sixth year.

While many of the young people are thinking about their future, the elected officials are thinking about the future of the country. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced a formal impeachment inquiry for President Trump earlier in the week.

Booker told News 12 he is still working on getting more funding to continue his 2020 presidential bid. He needs $1.7 million in additional campaign funding before the end of the month.