Local West Point cadets return home to speak at high school
BRUNSWICK COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — With Thanksgiving this week, two cadets from West Point Military Academy are home early for the holidays paying it forward to the next generation of service men and women.
West Point Cadets Joseph Politi and Samantha Carpenter stopped by South Brunswick High School Monday, speaking to students about opportunities with one of the nation’s largest military academies.
Both cadets are from our area, with Politi graduating from Cape Fear Academy, and Carpenter from Laney High School.
Carpenter—who’s now in her second year at the academy—says answering student questions is a full circle moment.
“I was these kids just a few years ago, and getting to see the other side of things, it feels like the blink of an eye,” Carpenter said.
Carpenter adds she didn’t always know she wanted to go to West Point, originally planning to attend the US Air Force Academy. That is until she took part in West Point’s Summer Leaders Experience, which showed her the focus on leadership offered at the academy.
Politi says it was his physics teacher—A West Point Alum—that piqued his interest.
“I was always just blown away by the man. All of his awards and all of his stories and all of his deployments, I took note of that and it kind of influenced my decision,” Politi said.
West Point has a lot to offer prospective applicants, including free tuition, room, board, and insurance, a monthly stipend, and a launch pad to higher positions in the Army, or civilian leadership.
Carpenter feels the benefits move beyond the “tangible.”
“The intangible things like the alumni community, the personality change, the leader development are all things that should factor in,” Carpenter said.
West Point’s application process is lengthy and competitive, but Politi says that shouldn’t discourage those interested.
“It doesn’t matter what your GPA is right now as a freshman, it doesn’t matter where you are in your life right now. It doesn’t matter whether you’ll pass the medical exam. What matters is that you persevere,” Politi explained.
To learn more about the United States Military Academy at West Point, you can visit their website.
