When last year I received a preparatory scholarship from West Point’s alumni’s association, a program for training up and holding over prospective cadets for the next year’s entering class, I was relieved. The three U.S. service academies are ranked the top public schools in the country and are notorious for their arduous selection process. To apply, is to go head-to-head with the nation’s finest scholars and athletes. When your competition are all valedictorians, varsity athletes, hold copious amounts of volunteer hours, and ace every AP exam, it can be a tough crowd to stand out in.
I firmly believe that Messiah Lutheran propelled me toward where I am now. Messiah’s curriculum of writing, Latin, Logic, History, Theology, and Literature have proved extremely advantageous in applying to West Point. The Liberal Arts, in my experience neglected in public schools, are valued by the Academies for the same reason they are valued by MLCA. History, English, Logic, and communications help to produce a well-rounded student and lay the groundwork for leadership. All important as the STEM fields are, they alone do not produce soldiers, sailors, and airmen. Classical education goes beyond mere proficiency and pulls students into the big picture, showing them how to draw the parts together into the moving machine of academia. Reading helps you write, History helps you plan, Logic helps you make decisions; Latin, obscure and esoteric though it may seem, crops up in places you might not expect and can give you something of a general academic edge (not to mention the inherent impressiveness of the exotic). Math is math. Science is science. MLCA teaches them better and earlier than the other schools I’ve attended. No gifted mathematician myself, the early foundation I received at Messiah greatly helped me when moving on to more advanced classes.
The above is my personal experience with Messiah’s curriculum, and I can see its benefits in my everyday student life. As I write this, I am finishing up my first semester at Northwestern Preparatory School, a civilian preparatory institution in the mountains of San Bernadino, California. I came here to study under my scholarship from West Point, and work with other prospective cadets and midshipmen vying for admittance to the classes of 2028. Already, I have managed to distinguish myself as one of the best writers and grammarians, and frequently aid my peers in writing essays and prepping for interviews. The habits and knowledge I gained from MCLA have served me well, and I hope they will continue to do so at the United States Military Academy.
William Johnstone
United States Military Academy Class of 2028
