Sidwell Friends prepared Philippe Sanchez ‘16 for the academic and physical challenges of West Point, but not for some of the other things that come with military service.
“Coming from Sidwell, I had spent the last 12 years of my life learning how to express my identity as an individual," Sanchez wrote by e-mail. "But within the first few hours of being in-processed, I soon found myself to be just another shaved head amongst a sea of black shirts standing in formation.”
Sanchez is currently a freshman, or “plebe,” at West Point, and one of only two Sidwell graduates currently attending a service academy.
The academies offer academic and physical rigor.
Sandri said, “I don't think many people know about the opportunities that service academies provide. I had to find out about CGA from a family friend, and college counseling was just as clueless as I was."
But Sandri said that despite their differences, Sidwell and the service academies have some things in common. "[B]oth Sidwell and the service academies were founded on service before self," she said. "At heart, it does make sense to attend a service academy after Sidwell, because they share many similar values.”
By Kelly Anderson, Horizon Staff Writer, April 2017
“Coming from Sidwell, I had spent the last 12 years of my life learning how to express my identity as an individual," Sanchez wrote by e-mail. "But within the first few hours of being in-processed, I soon found myself to be just another shaved head amongst a sea of black shirts standing in formation.”
Sanchez is currently a freshman, or “plebe,” at West Point, and one of only two Sidwell graduates currently attending a service academy.
The academies are often ranked by publications like Forbes and US News and World Report as among the most selective colleges and universities in the country, and they have a reputation for academic excellence, as well as demanding requirements for physical fitness and military skills.
Despite their prestige, the academies do not attract the same level of interest from Sidwell students as other elite undergraduate schools.
Despite their prestige, the academies do not attract the same level of interest from Sidwell students as other elite undergraduate schools.
Diane Scattergood, who was a college counselor at Sidwell for 27 years before being named Dean of Freshmen in 2014, said she worked with only 10 students who applied to a service academy over the course of her career.
“Sidwell students don’t have [military] experiences that naturally set up that decision,” said Scattergood. “There are lot of other high schools that have [Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps] or drill teams, but there’s nothing we really have that starts to go in that direction.”
Patrick Gallagher, director of college counseling, said he worked with many students applying to service academies in his previous job at Georgetown Prep. “I know when I've dealt with kids applying in the past, for many, it’s been a family tradition. It’s fulfilling their family legacy.” he said.
Army Maj. Herman Bulls, southeast regional commander of admissions at West Point, echoed Gallagher’s observation.
“Sidwell students don’t have [military] experiences that naturally set up that decision,” said Scattergood. “There are lot of other high schools that have [Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps] or drill teams, but there’s nothing we really have that starts to go in that direction.”
Patrick Gallagher, director of college counseling, said he worked with many students applying to service academies in his previous job at Georgetown Prep. “I know when I've dealt with kids applying in the past, for many, it’s been a family tradition. It’s fulfilling their family legacy.” he said.
Army Maj. Herman Bulls, southeast regional commander of admissions at West Point, echoed Gallagher’s observation.
“We have a very large number of applicants from the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia,” he said. “It’s largely due to the large presence of military veterans living in the area. People who have had some sort of previous exposure to the military are much more likely to serve in the military because they’ve already had core military values like discipline ingrained in them.”
Thomas Ricks, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who has written extensively about the military, said he has seen signs since the September 11 attacks that the military is becoming a more popular career choice for students from affluent backgrounds who have attended elite schools.
Thomas Ricks, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who has written extensively about the military, said he has seen signs since the September 11 attacks that the military is becoming a more popular career choice for students from affluent backgrounds who have attended elite schools.
“I've been surprised in recent years at how many Ivy Leaguers have joined the military,” he said in an e-mail interview. “On one occasion, my nephew, a Marine, brought to our house several of his friends for dinner. It turned out they had graduated from Princeton, Penn, UC Berkeley, and the Naval Academy.”
The handful of Sidwell alumni who have attended the service academies said they were drawn by opportunities that are not available at other schools. For Sanchez, going to West Point - with the obligatory five years of service as an Army officer following graduation - is an opportunity to give back to his country and serve the less fortunate.
The handful of Sidwell alumni who have attended the service academies said they were drawn by opportunities that are not available at other schools. For Sanchez, going to West Point - with the obligatory five years of service as an Army officer following graduation - is an opportunity to give back to his country and serve the less fortunate.
Sanchez credits Sidwell wrestling coach Lou Heberer for instilling him with the values that inspired him to enter the military.
“The most important lesson Lou taught me was the importance of always pushing myself to be better in every facet of my life,” Sanchez said.
“As I grew older and became more aware of my fortunate life, I figured I owed it to myself and to those less fortunate to reach my full potential so that I could give back to my community later on," Sanchez said. "When I began the college search, I soon realized that West Point was the only place I felt confident that I would be pushed to become the best version of myself.”
Eva Sandri ‘13, the other Sidwell graduate now at a service academy, had similar reasons for applying to the Coast Guard Academy, where she is currently a senior. Like Sanchez, Sandri had not considered the military until late in her high school career, when a family friend told her about it.
“[After high school] I had planned to go into international relations or environmental policy through the civilian sector,” Sandri wrote in an e-mail.
“Coming from a non-military family, I hadn't seriously considered the military as a career path, but the goals of the Coast Guard aligned so well with what I wanted in a job, which was to make a meaningful difference in the community and environment while getting to travel and work closely with people, that I couldn't pass up the opportunity,” Sandri said.
“The most important lesson Lou taught me was the importance of always pushing myself to be better in every facet of my life,” Sanchez said.
“As I grew older and became more aware of my fortunate life, I figured I owed it to myself and to those less fortunate to reach my full potential so that I could give back to my community later on," Sanchez said. "When I began the college search, I soon realized that West Point was the only place I felt confident that I would be pushed to become the best version of myself.”
Eva Sandri ‘13, the other Sidwell graduate now at a service academy, had similar reasons for applying to the Coast Guard Academy, where she is currently a senior. Like Sanchez, Sandri had not considered the military until late in her high school career, when a family friend told her about it.
“[After high school] I had planned to go into international relations or environmental policy through the civilian sector,” Sandri wrote in an e-mail.
“Coming from a non-military family, I hadn't seriously considered the military as a career path, but the goals of the Coast Guard aligned so well with what I wanted in a job, which was to make a meaningful difference in the community and environment while getting to travel and work closely with people, that I couldn't pass up the opportunity,” Sandri said.
The academies offer academic and physical rigor.
At Air Force, graduation requirements stipulate that “cadets must earn physical education credit over their four academic years, [and] participation in intramurals, clubs, or intercollegiate athletics is required in each of their eight academic semesters.”
They must also pass a physical fitness and aerobic fitness test each semester, which requires them to run 1.5 miles in under 11 minutes and 15 seconds and do at least 48 pushups, among other requirements.
They must also pass a physical fitness and aerobic fitness test each semester, which requires them to run 1.5 miles in under 11 minutes and 15 seconds and do at least 48 pushups, among other requirements.
Plebes at the Naval Academy must take either Calculus I or II during the second semester of their first year, as well as take advanced courses in seamanship and engineering, depending on their major.
Sandri agreed with Sanchez that going to a school where willingness to accept regimentation as a basic requirement was a big adjustment, more so than the high-level math and science classes or the physical conditioning and military drills.
Sandri agreed with Sanchez that going to a school where willingness to accept regimentation as a basic requirement was a big adjustment, more so than the high-level math and science classes or the physical conditioning and military drills.
“The biggest difference between Sidwell and [the Coast Guard Academy] is that individuality is prized so much at Sidwell, while CGA is more about testing your limits and learning how to be a military leader," Sandri said.
"Both communities are supportive in their own ways, and I've grown immensely from having both experiences," she said. "There´s a lot of regimentation at CGA, but once you've gotten through the basic indoctrination period you can find your niche just like at any other school."
Gallagher said Sidwell is happy to support students who want to explore the possibility of attending a service academy; however, they are not the right fit for every student.
"Both communities are supportive in their own ways, and I've grown immensely from having both experiences," she said. "There´s a lot of regimentation at CGA, but once you've gotten through the basic indoctrination period you can find your niche just like at any other school."
Gallagher said Sidwell is happy to support students who want to explore the possibility of attending a service academy; however, they are not the right fit for every student.
“It takes a really special type of student to apply to one of the academies,” he said. “They tend to be self-starters in that they will approach me about it before I approach them. They are also usually very mature, they tend to thrive on structure . . . and they tend to be leaders. They have to be ready for the hard work knowing their college experience will be very different from a traditional four year school.”
Scattergood said Sidwell’s Quaker identity does not prevent the school from supporting students who want to pursue a career in the military.
Scattergood said Sidwell’s Quaker identity does not prevent the school from supporting students who want to pursue a career in the military.
“It isn’t just about ‘there’s that of god in everybody’ and we shouldn’t kill,” she said, referring to the affirmation attributed to George Fox, the founder of Quakerism. “There’s a also a sense [in military service] that you’re serving the country and you’re serving God. If you really think about it, we have a military tradition in the country that’s about community. So, I think it’s a personal choice [to apply to a service academy], but the school has never challenged a student who wants to do it to rethink it.”
Sandri and Sanchez said they think more Sidwell students should consider the benefits of attending a service academy, which go beyond free tuition and strong academics.
“I know this sounds strange considering how diverse Sidwell prides itself on being, but in terms of geographical and political diversity, Sidwell definitely lacks," Sanchez said. "One of the things I’ve really appreciated [at West Point] has been forming relationships with conservatives. Some of my best friends here are Trump supporters, and they’re some of the best people I know," he said.
Sandri and Sanchez said they think more Sidwell students should consider the benefits of attending a service academy, which go beyond free tuition and strong academics.
“I know this sounds strange considering how diverse Sidwell prides itself on being, but in terms of geographical and political diversity, Sidwell definitely lacks," Sanchez said. "One of the things I’ve really appreciated [at West Point] has been forming relationships with conservatives. Some of my best friends here are Trump supporters, and they’re some of the best people I know," he said.
"I think at Sidwell it’s often easy to get caught within the ‘bubble’ that exists and discredit people with different ideas or backgrounds than us. I remember throughout the election cycle last year, most of the discussions revolving around Trump and his supporters involved labeling them as ‘sexist,’ ‘racist,’ ‘xenophobic,’ [or] ‘redneck,’ but that really couldn’t be farther than the truth,” said Sanchez.
Sandri said, “I don't think many people know about the opportunities that service academies provide. I had to find out about CGA from a family friend, and college counseling was just as clueless as I was."
But Sandri said that despite their differences, Sidwell and the service academies have some things in common. "[B]oth Sidwell and the service academies were founded on service before self," she said. "At heart, it does make sense to attend a service academy after Sidwell, because they share many similar values.”
By Kelly Anderson, Horizon Staff Writer, April 2017
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