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Stories in this issue:
- Public Speaking & State and Local Politics Class Field Trip
- Happy Birthday to the February Babies!
- Save the Date: Phonathon
- Cadets Place in Top 4 at Clover Hill's Groundhog Day Invitational
- This Week's College Acceptances
- The Next Stop - February Newsletter
- SGT Miles Davis takes Cadets to Delta Company 2nd Brigade 317th Regiment
- Bravo Zulu Awards
- Upcoming Admissions Events
- Do you want to be a part of our Cadet Corps?
Public Speaking & State and Local Politics Class Field Trip
CPT Michael Head and Dr. Alex Welch's Public Speaking and State & Local Politics classes took a field trip to the State Capitol last week. The group toured the Capitol grounds, met with Governor Youngkin and sat in a Senate Judiciary Committee meeting.
The highlight of the trip was when senior Jackson Pretus was given the opportunity to speak at the meeting. As part of formal parliamentary procedure, the Committee Chairman must first ask if there are any in attendance wishing to speak in favor or opposition of the bill. In this case, there was no one wishing to speak, and so the Senators voted.
It was then that Jackson Pretus leaned over and asked CPT Head what would happen if "someone" walked up to the podium.
"Having coached Pretus on the debate team, and having been a cadet myself, I immediately knew that he was the 'someone' in question," said Head. "I explained that based on the procedures in effect, he would be fully allowed to speak, but that he should know the bill in question before speaking to it. As the committee moved forward on the docket for the day, Pretus borrowed my tablet to read the upcoming bills. He chose HB1404, a piece of legislation closing a loophole allowing underage sale of some tobacco products to minors."
After reading the bill and listening to the Senators debate, Pretus stood in favor of the legislation and shared his opinion on the matter. As he took his seat, our local representative, Senator Peake, took a moment to recognize Pretus and the rest of the FUMA group before calling the bill to a vote which it passed unanimously.
Check out Pretus' speech below:
Happy Birthday to the February Babies!
Yesterday, Fork Union Military Academy celebrated all cadets, staff and faculty who have birthdays in February. A huge thank you to SAGE Dining who continues to surprise us with amazing desserts each month.
Staff/Faculty
- Richard Richardson
- Jessica Maddox
- Zachary Harris
- Christopher Morgan
- John Warren
- Dan Thompson
- David Mitchell
- Jacob Grabeel
- Rotche Strickland
- James Christian
- Jocelyn Stevens
- Jeanne Jones
- Tara Harkins
Cadets
- Gabriel Sowunmi
- Ryan Hunt
- Ahmad Shah
- Jacob Seymore
- Jai Johnson
- Tristan Townley
- Kamaree Wells
- Dominic Lancey
- Selah Houston
- James Robinson
- Miguel Rijo
- Andrew Wade
- Maddax Lee
- Isaac Rivera
Save the Date: Phonathon
This year, Fork Union Military Academy is hosting two Phonathon weeks, starting February 27-March 2. The second week is scheduled for March 6-9.
We hope you save the date and answer the call as our cadets hit the phones each evening. You can also send in your gift by taking advantage of the Phonathon 2023 mailer that will be appearing in your mailbox soon. Check out the Phonathon webpage below:
Two Blue Devils Place at Clover Hill's Groundhog Day Debate Invitational
Cadets Ethan Schroyer and Matthew Vinso led the Fork Union Military Academy's debate team at the Clover Hill Groudhog Day Invitational in Midlothian, Virginia this past weekend.
Schroyer, a junior from North East, Md., won the Student Congress, while Vinso, a senior from Stafford, Va., placed fourth in Extemporaneous Speaking.
"I am incredibly proud of the performance of the team at Clover Hill," said head debate coach Michael Head. "At this point in the year, we really get to see the growth in our new team members that has been fostered by their more experienced teammates. Although I am incredibly happy to see our guys accepting trophies on stage, I was much more encouraged when I heard one of our first-year competitors who had been battling with nerves in the lead-up to the meet say, 'I think I am getting why you guys like this!' at the end of the day. I only hope that our competitors approaching their retirement can see how their mark is being left on the team culture, and how their leadership is inspiring growth in their teammates. I can't wait to see what they will do next!"
Congratulations, gentlemen!
This Week's College Acceptances
It's that time of year again when our seniors get the exciting news of college acceptances!
Our goal each year is that 100% of our seniors gain college acceptance, and the Class of 2023 has already achieved that goal. Each year, our seniors work hard with the College Placement and Academic Services team under the leadership of the department's Director, Kelsey Hill, and the Assistant Director, Dr. James Benson.
Check out this week's acceptances!
This Month's Edition of The Next Stop
Mrs. Kelsey Hill, Director of College Placement and Academic Services, is proud to announce the department's first audio newsletter, The Next Stop. Each month, Mrs. Hill will release an audio newsletter to detailing important information for you cadet's next stop after Fork Union Military Academy.
Check out this month's edition of The Next Stop:
SGT Miles Davis takes Cadets to Delta Company, 2nd Brigade 317th Regiment, US Army Reserve
By: Senior Jackson Pretus
Some of FUMA’s best and brightest traveled to Lynchburg on Sunday, February 5, to train with Delta Company, 2nd BN, 317th Regiment, US Army Reserve. Organized by the new TAC of Charlie Company, Drill Sergeant Miles Davis, 14 cadets honed their drill and ceremony skills with rigorous training sessions, complete with orders and corrections from the Company’s drill sergeants. The photos speak for the fun but challenging exercises of the day.
“My favorite part of the day was working with the drill sergeants and yelling ‘at ease!’ as loud as my lungs could possibly bear."
Additionally, the cadets were addressed by Captain Stephenson, Delta Company Commander, and Major Freiman, Battalion XO. From there, cadets completed a Land Navigation class, led by Cadets Allen and Faulk of Liberty University.
“I was already familiar with much of the technical details, but working with people, genuine seasoned military people is something you can never experience too much. That was invaluable. Especially when you can pull the most important nuggets of experience and lessons to take home,” one cadet declared.
“It was a very wonderful experience that taught me a lot about being a leader. Being able to learn some of the leadership skills that the United States Army has to offer was a chance that I am so glad and grateful that I was able to attend. I would recommend any upcoming leaders to go to this event, if it is going to happen again. I would also like to be a part of that next trip.”
The cadets offered overwhelmingly positive feedback from the event, and Davis hopes to organize future events in which cadets can learn from drill sergeants to master their leadership and drill skills. After all, it is an excellent opportunity for cadets to experience what 2nd BN, 317th Regiment is all about: “Second to None!”
Bravo Zulu Award Winners
Every Friday the Fork Union Military Faculty and Staff meet to nominate a few who have exceeded the standards and demonstrated superlative performance. Whilst we have various awards and recognitions - a simple "Well Done!" we hope, is also appreciated. The combination of the Bravo and Zulu nautical signal flags, i.e., Bravo Zulu, also referred to as "BZ," is a naval signal, typically conveyed by flag hoist or voice radio, meaning "Well Done" with regard to actions, operations or performance.
The following are the Bravo Zulu awards for this week:
Cadet First Sergeant Tzu-Heng Hung is a senior and third-year cadet in Bravo Company. He is a boarding student from Tainan City, Taiwan. Cadet Hung submitted a detailed assessment recommending several ways cadet life could be improved. He suggested incentives and creative ways to further encourage his fellow cadets. He stated that he has greatly benefited from his experience at FUMA and wanted to do his part to help FUMA continue in excellence in the decades to come. Bravo Zulu, Cadet Hung!
Cadet Captain William Girod is a junior and fourth-year cadet in Charlie Company. He is a boarding student from Port Republic, MD. As Company Commander, Cadet Girod has gone above and beyond in his duties. During daily meetings, he implemented a new process to improve communication within the company. This process has resulted in improved cleanliness within the barracks as well as better communication regarding coverage for extra duty and guard duty. Bravo Zulu, Cadet Girod!
Cadet Sergeant Joseph Athey is a tenth grader and second-year cadet in HSC. He is a boarding student from Woodsboro, MD. When his Platoon Sergeant was assigned to other duties, Cadet Athey took the initiative to step into the position. He marched the platoon to morning colors, conducted inspections, and set the example. His room is always immaculate and serves as a model for his platoon. Cadet Athey’s initiative and commitment to excellence is a testament to his character. Bravo Zulu, Cadet Athey!
Mrs. Kelsey Hill, Director of College Placement & Academic Services, has done a phenomenal job coordinating various off-campus visits for our cadets as they continue to explore their post-FUMA options. Last week, she designed and personally led a visit for over 20 cadets to Randolph College (a trip funded by Randolph College). Future visits are scheduled for Hampden-Sydney College and Longwood University in the first week of March. In addition to college visits, Mrs. Hill has also scheduled a shadow day next week at Luck Stone Corporation for our cadets exploring employment opportunities immediately after graduation. Bravo Zulu, Mrs. Hill!
Go FUMA! | Colonel David L. Coggins, USMC (Ret.) | President | Fork Union Military Academy
Upcoming Admissions Events
The best way to learn about Fork Union Military Academy is to schedule an appointment with our Admissions Office and come for a family visit and receive your own individual tour of the campus.
We also schedule a number of Admissions Fairs in various cities and regions throughout the year.
Friday, February 17 | Admissions Event in San Antonio, Texas
- Interested in learning more about Fork Union Military Academy? Our admissions team will be in San Antonio, Texas for an Admissions Event held at Quarry Hofbrau located at: 7310 Jones Maltsberger Rd., San Antonio, TX 78209 | Registration for this event is required.
Saturday, February 18 | Admissions Event in Houston, Texas
- Interested in learning more about Fork Union Military Academy? Our admissions team will be in Houston, Texas for an Admissions Event held at Courtyard Mariott Intercontinental Airport Hotel located at: 15838 John F. Kennedy Blvd., Houston, TX 77032 | Registration for this event is required.
Monday, February 20 | Open House
- Come meet with our Admissions team and see our beautiful campus during our Open House on President's Day! The Open House begins at 9:00 am in the Wicker Chapel.
Do you want to be a part of our Cadet Corps?
Are you a young man in the 7th to 12th grade? Do you want to be a man known for integrity, respect for yourself and others, faith, character, and discipline?
We encourage you to fill out an application for enrollment and join our cadets here at Fork Union Military Academy.
Thank you!
Credits:
Photos by: Kelly Barnette, Kristin Firewicz Michael Head, Jackson Pretus, Kelsey Hill and James Benson.