Star Trek: Every Ensign Ranked From Worst To Best

Few Starfleet officers have ever been given the chance to serve as an ensign before even attending the Academy, but Wesley Crusher demonstrated that he was more than capable.

After already helping to save the Enterprise in the Next Generation episode The Naked Now, a mysterious and powerful alien known as the Traveler showed Picard that Wesley was a gifted mind that needed to be encouraged to reach his full potential (in the episode Where No One Has Gone Before). Picard, seeing the young boy's abilities, looked past his disdain for children and granted Wesley the rank of acting ensign, which gave him early experience aboard a Federation starship. He spent the time learning every operation and function on the ship to prepare for Starfleet Academy. In this role, he went on to save the day several more times before leaving (in the episodes The Battle and Datalore, for example). Wesley made a few mistakes as well and put the ship in unnecessary danger, but Picard was so impressed with his efforts that he eventually made him a full ensign and allowed him to wear a uniform for about a year before he even started at the Academy.

We never got to see Wesley graduate, as the Traveler convinced him to drop out to join him as an explorer of space and time (although we did see him briefly in Star Trek: Nemesis with the rank of lieutenant, implying that he went back and finished his training eventually).

Wesley deserves recognition for saving the Enterprise-D as an acting ensign several times, but his greatest achievements came after he left Starfleet.