WEST POINT, N.Y. – Cadets Tommy Hall, Emma San Martin, and Henry Thompson, Class of 2022, are three of 41 recipients selected to receive the prestigious Marshall Scholarship for continued academic study following graduation and commissioning in May. West Point is first in the nation for Class of 2022 Marshall scholarships.

“These cadets represent the best qualities of the Academy through their leadership and scholarship,” said Dean of the Academic Board, Brig. Gen. Shane Reeves. “From Aeromechanics to Grand Strategy to Chinese Identity, they each focus on important work for our Army and Nation. The opportunity to study in the world’s leading graduate programs will enhance the already rich impact they are making.”

About the Marshall Scholars

Cadet Tommy Hall, Company E-4, Class of 2022, is a Mandarin major from New Orleans, La. As a Stamps Scholar, Hall’s research applied multidisciplinary approaches to understanding major China-related issues. This led him to establish the West Point Human Rights Lab, a team comprised of 10 cadets who are currently working with experts at government agencies and across academia to produce a series of research papers about genocide and crimes against humanity endured by the Uyghur people in Xinjiang. He held leadership positions in the Policy Debate Team, the Trust Program, and the Writing Fellows Program, and is also a member of the International Affairs Forum, Chinese Language and Cultural Arts Forum and the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society. His cybersecurity academic papers have twice been printed in the Cyber Defense Review. He has presented research at a combined total of three domestic and international panel. Hall will commission in the Quartermaster branch and continue his studies on identity, mass atrocities, and displacement at the University of Cambridge.

“I deeply believe in the value of partnerships in tackling the 21st century’s most pressing challenges. Being a Marshall Scholar allows me to build connections with the UK’s brightest minds and hone the ambassadorial skills that are essential to working effectively with our ally across the pond—be it officially on joint-force deployments or informally through lifelong friendships.”

Cadet Emma San Martin, Company F-4, Class of 2022, was born in Chile, raised in New York, and is a Mechanical Engineering major and Aeronautics minor. After listening to her father describe his childhood in Chile under Pinochet, San Martin was determined to defend freedom through service as both a soldier and scientist. She has published her research in postural control and aeromechanics with the American Society of Biomechanics (ASB) and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Her work has earned research grants from the ASB, the Society of American Military Engineers, and the Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society. San Martin also invented a carburetor de-icing device for UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) which is U.S. Patent Pending. Currently, she is modifying a wind tunnel to simulate complex urban wind profiles, which will be used to improve the Army’s operational UAVs and is also studying the effects of rotor spacing on UAV slipstream interference. San Martin served as a Cadet Basic Training company commander last summer and is now the executive officer for her battalion. Alongside her research, as a longtime pianist, San Martin also enjoys writing music and singing with the Cadet Glee Club. 

San Martin’s work with joint training operations at the National Training Center in Fort Irwin, Calif., convinced her to pursue a commission as a Military Intelligence Officer. As a Marshall Scholar, she will pursue a Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Glasgow and a Master of Science in Advanced Computational Methods for Aeronautics, Flow Management and Fluid-Structure Interaction from the Imperial College London.

“The Marshall Scholarship provides me with an opportunity to pursue knowledge and connections that will make me not just a more effective officer and researcher, but an ambassador of science between the U.S. and UK through the design of defense, reconnaissance, and exploratory aircraft.”

Cadet Henry Thompson, Company C-3, Class of 2022, was born and raised in Charlotte, N.C., and is an American Politics Major and Grand Strategy Minor. His desire to defend the values of equal opportunity and individual rights led him to pursue a military career, and West Point drew him in with promises of great challenges and tight comradery with his peers. Thompson found both promises met in the West Point curriculum and Sandhurst Military Skills Team, which competes against the Royal Military Academy in an annual competition held at West Point. During his junior year, Thompson led the Gold Team for this event, and as a senior, he leads as a co-captain of the team. Last summer, Thompson served as a company commander, leading and inspiring 133 New Cadets to transition from civilians to cadets and was named Best Company Commander of Cadet Basic Training 2. Currently, Thompson serves as a regimental S3, a role which requires planning and leading operations for over 1,100 cadets. His academics focuses on the United States’ role in the international system and how policies might be improved to increase security while distributing some of the resource load and risks to other countries. As a research assistant for the Irregular Warfare Initiative, he helped review and compile articles and papers on the topic of irregular warfare as well as communicated with other members in the field. Thompson has branched Infantry and plans to pursue a career in Special Forces and defense policymaking after completing a Master of Arts in International Conflict from King’s College London War Studies and a Master of Science in China and Globalization from King’s College London’s China Institute as a Marshall Scholar.

“Being a Marshall Scholar means leading the effort to strengthen the connection between the U.S. and UK to improve the livelihood and security of both countries. It also means living up to the reputation and values of General George C. Marshall, the Chief of Staff of the Army during World War II, Secretary of State, and Secretary of Defense."

About the Marshall Scholarship

The Marshall Scholarship is a postgraduate opportunity funded by the British government for intellectually distinguished young Americans to study abroad at a university in the United Kingdom, in any field of study. The goal of the program is to strengthen the relationship between the two countries for the good of mankind.

Please visit the West Point Graduate Scholarship Program 

About West Point:

The U.S. Military Academy at West Point is a four-year, co-educational, federal, liberal arts college located 50 miles north of New York City. It was founded in 1802 as America's first college of engineering and continues today as the world’s premier leader-development institution, consistently ranked among top colleges in the country. Its mission remains constant—to educate, train, and inspire the Corps of Cadets so that each graduate is a commissioned leader of character committed to the values of Duty, Honor, Country and prepared for a career of professional excellence and service to the nation as an officer in the U. S. Army. For more information, go to www.westpoint.edu.