“It takes a well-rounded program of leadership, academic and athletic preparation to be one of the few who can meet the service academies’ high admission standards and the fierce competition for appointment.” - The White House website.
As we approach Veterans Day, St. Andrew’s Episcopal School is proud to be a leader in the state for preparing students to meet the rigorous standards to be admitted into the nation’s service academies. In the past nine years alone, 12 St. Andrew’s alumni have demonstrated the leadership, academic, and athletic preparation required to receive appointment to one of the United States’ Service Academies including the United States Air Force Academy, Coast Guard Academy, Merchant Marine Academy, Military Academy at West Point, and Naval Academy. The Service Academies are extremely selective, and the application process is competitive. Candidates must be nominated by a member of Congress, both U.S. senators from their state, or the vice president of the United States. Acceptance rates are usually between 8% and 20%. Once accepted, cadets face four years of rigorous academics and physical training. Academy students are trained to take on demanding, sometimes dangerous, leadership roles that require a combination of intellect, athleticism, integrity, and courage.
Twenty St. Andrew’s alumni have attended service academies since 1991. The St. Andrew’s alumni who’ve received these appointments say they arrived prepared for the challenge. “St. Andrew’s offered all the opportunities I could imagine and helped me find ways to fit them into my schedule alongside my academics,” says CPT Alex Weisser ’14. “Many of my peers at West Point struggled early on trying to balance the academics, military duties, and extracurriculars and some even left the academy because of it. St. Andrew’s prepared me to produce exemplary work while maintaining time for myself and my health.” CPT Weisser is stationed at Fort Moore, Georgia. He is attending the Maneuver Captains Career Course before assignment to Fort Bliss, Texas, later this year, where he expects to serve with the 3rd Brigade, 1st Armored Division.
“St. Andrew’s teachers are like no others. They’re invested in what they’re teaching, and they push you to be better. Because of those great teachers, I came into West Point with a willingness to learn and explore new ideas, which is a mindset St. Andrew’s taught me,” says Cadet Captain Phoebe Xu ’20, a senior at West Point. A Brigade Academics Officer, she is responsible for fostering the academic success of a corps of 4,400 cadets. In her previous role as a Beast squad leader, Cadet Xu was responsible for helping new cadets with their training and transition to life at West Point.
Five members of the Saints swim team have received appointments to the U.S. Service Academies in the past nine years. All were inspired by their coach, COL Thatch Shepard, himself a graduate of West Point. “‘Proud’ is at the top of the list when I describe St. Andrew’s students who’ve received appointments to the academies, but I also feel honored that they trusted my advice and mentoring in making such a big commitment,” Coach Shepard says. “I make sure I stay in touch with them, and I want them to feel comfortable talking to me about their military careers. I want them to have the same positive experience I had serving my country.” Coach Thatch Shepard was named the 2023 Mississippi Coaches Association’s Swim Coach of the Year. Coach Shepard was also one of the top finalists for the 2023 National Swim Coach of the Year Award.
Shepard’s children, CPT Mollie Shepard ’14 and 2nd LT Thatcher Shepard ’16, come from a long line of West Point graduates that includes their father, their grandfather, and several uncles. “West Point has always been a family business for the Shepards, but it was time for a girl to continue the tradition,” CPT Mollie Shepard says.
Mollie Shepard is an aviation officer and Blackhawk helicopter pilot. Thatcher Shepard is stationed at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, where he is in medical school at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. “The rigorous military and physical requirements, in addition to the academics at West Point, can make for a difficult adjustment for many cadets,” says CPT Mollie Shepard ’14, a Blackhawk pilot with the U.S Army. “But I’ll bet every St. Andrew’s student who has attended the Academy has known how to handle that workload.”
