WEST POINT, N.Y. – From a psychological perspective, one of the toughest days for a parent emotionally is the day a child leaves home and officially becomes an adult working toward his or her life’s goals.
As the U.S. Military Academy welcomed 1,234 new cadets on Reception Day on July 1, the opportunity of a lifetime presented itself for these fledgling adults to earn an education at this prestigious institution and, over the next 47 months, become steely focused on developing into leaders of character for the Army. Conversely, it does come with the melancholy of leaving their childhood behind as well as their parents to move onward with their journey.
As these young, hard-charging USMA Class of 2028 cadets began their integration into the academy lifestyle on R-Day, their parents got to take in the West Point environment by being welcomed at the Parents Welcome Center at Eisenhower Hall.
Throughout the day, parents enjoyed a complimentary breakfast sponsored by the West Point Association of Graduates and the USMA Class of 1978, which is the new class’s 50-year affiliate class, and various activities including Hudson River boat rides, visiting post chapels, self-tours of the West Point Cemetery and Old Cadet Chapel, viewing a military equipment display, an organ recital at the Cadet Chapel, and meeting the USMA Historian Jen Voigtschild at Trophy Point who shared West Point’s history and talked about the granite benches, which preach character themes carved in stone.
The day ended with Superintendent Lt. Gen. Steven Gilland’s welcome remarks to the families and then the ceremonial oath ceremony on The Plain, where the parents viewed their children marching for the first time in a formation as the new cadets were led by the upper-class cadet cadre.
As parents and family members started streaming into the stands for their first look at their children in cadet uniforms on The Plain, some parents took time to speak about their experience of the day and everything leading up to their cadets making the decision to come to West Point.
David and Jennifer Sawyer, accompanied by their high school-aged son, Logan, came from Weston, Florida, a city between Miami and Fort Lauderdale, to drop off their son, Ethan, who is a new member of the Class of 2028.
Ethan’s willingness to come to West Point was two-fold where Jennifer took him to an informational session during his junior year led by Maj. Mark Owens, the USMA Directorate of Admissions Southeast Regional Commander, to talk to prospective cadets. His interest was also piqued through his close relationships with his neighbors, Joseph and Alex Persteins. The Persteins brothers are currently attending the academy with Joseph serving as a member of the Class of 2026 and Alex tagging along with Ethan as part of the Class of 2028.
David said that the nation wants someone like Ethan to attend West Point.
“I think he’ll do a good job here,” David stated. “I know he wants to major in engineering, and it’s a great program here. He’s always been curious about world affairs. He’s a student of world history. He’s taken seven science classes, so this is a perfect setting for the kind of person he is.”
Jennifer said how this is an extraordinary opportunity for Ethan and “he’s worked hard to be here.”
“When we arrived here on Saturday, he looked around and he said to me, ‘I’m so lucky,’” Jennifer remarked. “I told him, ‘You’re not lucky. You’ve worked hard and you’ve earned this.’ I just think it’s an incredible opportunity for him.”
She added that Ethan’s compassion for others has always been a character trait since he was a child and if someone were having a hard time with something, he would offer help.
“He’s always cared about other people,” Jennifer said. “He’s helped other kids when they were having a hard time in class. I think that is just part of his character and an extension of who he’s always been.”
David feels it is surreal for Ethan to be at West Point, but in the same breath acknowledges that his compassion and willingness to help others is part of his character that makes him a great prospective leader.
“For example, in 10th grade, in Honors Chemistry, he would use his study hall and teach his peers … the teacher would let him use the whiteboard to teach everyone chemistry for the entire year. He just enjoyed doing it.”
This was the parents first visit to West Point. The aesthetics of the academy struck Jennifer as she used words like “beautiful” and “stunning” to describe the academy grounds. They also got a chance to visit New York City and took a boat tour to see the Statue of Liberty.
Overall, much like David’s dad, who said he thinks it’s “an honor” for Ethan to come to West Point, his parents are proud of him and agree that he “will do a good job here.”
Parents Jennifer and Darren Taylor came to West Point from Hayden, Idaho, to see their son, Jesse, start his West Point journey. Jesse received his nomination to West Point from Idaho congressman Russ Fulcher.
Jesse’s journey to West Point began with a love of history. Through his readings and research, he discovered the long-established legacy of the academy, which inspired him to become a cadet and join the Long Gray Line.
“He learned the history of West Point and what a prestigious honor it would be to come here,” Taylor said. “It’s about being able to not only get the best education but also serve our country.”
Jennifer said she has been overcome with every emotion about her son attending West Point.
“It’s so impressive here, and I’m just so full of pride,” she said. “I think he’s found his place here. I think this is where he’s meant to be.”
Jennifer mentioned how Jesse is shy and introverted by nature, but as the valedictorian of his class, he had to overcome his fear of public speaking to give his speech.
“He loves challenges and learned how much he enjoys a challenge and how much you can grow from a challenge, hard work and struggle, and just seeing him learn how to navigate all that – it’s just amazing,” she said. “To be an introvert, then all of a sudden, he’s talking in front of everyone and then wants to come here. It’s so neat to see the confidence in him now, and to see his passion for leadership, wanting to learn, his curiosity for history and our country is really neat.”
Another member of the Class of 2028 is Stephen Ruth II, who arrived from Houston with his dad, Col. Stephen Ruth, director for Strategic Officer Recruiting Detachment Task Force in Houston.
Col. Ruth is a Texas A&M graduate and has served in the Army for 32 years, but he does have roots at the academy where he was a faculty member in the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership (BS&L) about 20 years ago and then later the commandant and dean at the U.S. Military Academy Preparatory School. Ruth II was born at Keller Army Community Hospital and then later attended first and second grades at the West Point Elementary School.
“Being able to come back 18 years after he was born here to drop him off at the academy on R-Day, it is almost a homecoming of sorts,” Ruth said. “We have a deep affinity for the academy … this place is quite special for us. As the years went by, that affinity where it all began became stronger for him to want to come here on this pathway and be a cadet at this military academy. We couldn’t be more proud of him for his hard work, his determination and his growth to try to be the best he can be.”
Ruth said it is exciting to see him begin his journey to become a future leader of character.
“My father, George, served in World War II, Korea and Vietnam, and then I picked up the baton after that through Bosnia, Macedonia, Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria … it’s now his turn to take the mantle and learn more depth from what he may really understand on the surface level of what leadership means,” Ruth explained. “The superintendent talked about leadership and character during the Supe’s brief to parents, and the character component is our bedrock at the academy. We help cadets understand how important that is and how they truly live their lives honorably as they lead others.
“If they appreciate that after several months here, it’s going to be in their nature,” he added. “It will be their nature to be entrusted and in charge of America’s sons and daughters.”
Ruth said that many of the current staff and faculty were cadets when he was part of the BS&L staff and faculty or USMAPS commandant, and he is reminded that his son and his classmates are in good hands because “I believe in the product that we are producing.”
“They are providing leadership tutelage and oversight for a system that I’m quite familiar with, I’m quite assured this is the right place for him,” Ruth said. “It’s going to be a remarkable formative experience for him at the academy.
“To see the cadets who are officers now who I got to know when they were 18 years old, being back here and assuming the mantle of leadership, it’s just reassuring about the whole process at West Point,” he added. “It is remarkable of the way for this institution to keep giving back and creating opportunities for others to not only come take their place but come extend the goodness of what the academy offers for America.”
Ruth mentioned how his dad was emotional on how special this journey is for his grandson to take the West Point route to follow his footsteps in serving the country. Ruth added what also makes this experience special are the mentors from the Class of 1978, the 50-year class affiliate to his son’s graduating class, he had as a rising service member.
“My first battalion commander was a Class of ‘78 graduate, Maj. Gen. Steve Layfield. Then having mentors from the class from Lt. Gen. Tom Bostick, Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti and others, that’s a lot of folks I’ve had the opportunity to serve with, be mentored by and it was special to watch how that tutelage began during my first time as an officer with a Class of ‘78 graduate as my first leader,” Ruth concluded. “Now, the Class of ‘78 comes full circle with my son as his 50-year affiliate. You couldn’t complete the circle any better than that.”
To see photos from Reception Day, visit R-Day 2024 | Flickr.