At Randolph-Macon Academy, our co-ed student body includes young men and women from the US and around the world. They are a diverse, dedicated, and inspiring group of young individuals who work hard to reach their goals. Today, we are taking a moment to highlight the impressive achievements of some of our female students, exploring their experiences, goals, and motivations. We were able to hear from five young women currently studying at R-MA, who have been accepted at a number of service academies to continue their higher education.
With March being the month that has International Women’s Day, we know how important it is to share the stories of strong female leaders. Our intelligent and driven students are proving to be role models for us all. Continue reading to hear from a few of our female students on their experiences and plans for the future!
Defining Goals for a Bright Future at Our Prep School
It takes insight, self-knowledge, and focus to determine your goals and then take the concrete steps needed to make them happen. For Jaimey-Leigh Weidner, recently accepted into the United States Air Force Academy, her goals have become clearer and clearer as she has pursued her interests.
“I didn’t know at first, but I was looking for a school that had my specific major, and a strong academic and athletic program,” Jaimey-Leigh said. “My family has a history of service, so I was interested in the idea of both learning to be a leader, a student and an athlete. I knew I wanted to attend specifically the Air Force Academy after a Service Academy Night in my home state, and they explained the school in more detail,” she added.
For other students, the realization came later. Erin Vandale, accepted at both the US Military Academy at West Point and the US Naval Academy at Annapolis, revealed that she didn’t originally want to attend a service academy. “I did not always want to go to a service academy, I was on a hunt to create goals towards a future I felt passionate about my freshman year,” she told us. “My interest in the military started when my brother went to Penn State for NROTC the next year he transferred to the Naval Academy. My brother inspired me, but what fueled me was the opportunity the academy provided to train with like minded individuals in an environment that is created to build officers,” she added.
Our prep school was able to provide Erin and her peers with an experience that helped them determine their goals, paving the way for a bright future. A big driving force advocating for and supporting our students is Mary Gamache, Director of College & Career Counseling at R-MA. “Jane and Erin came to R-MA for their junior year, both were well prepared academically,” Mary said. “Their transition was seamless. Both girls quickly became known, by students, faculty and staff, as natural-born leaders. By senior year, they were selected as leaders in the cadet corps and various organizations on campus,” she added. Mary is a retired USAF Chief Sergeant, and a huge reason as to why our college acceptance rates are so high and why our service academy appointments are so successful.
Breaking Biases as Young Women in Service Roles
We wanted to talk with these young female leaders about what they see to be the biggest misconceptions surrounding women in service today. “A few misconceptions are that women are weak and cannot lead as well as men due to our emotions,” replied Rachel Ninan, who has been accepted into the US Air Force Academy.
Lorna Loughery, another stand-out female student, said, “I think the biggest misconception surrounding women in the service would be our ability to meet physical fitness standards and deal with stressors. When someone is motivated, nothing will stop them from meeting their goals and there are a lot of areas where female performance is generally higher than that of men.”
These young women are excited to correct these misconceptions after graduating from our co-ed private school, and are eager to take on new leadership roles as they continue to realize their value and worth. “I think females provide a very unique perspective into leadership and innovation,” Lorna added. “In order to adapt and evolve you have to have different ways of thinking and new opinions, so I think service academies would benefit from that diversity,” she said.
Reaching New Heights in Academics, Fitness, and Leadership with R-MA
These students aren’t done making their mark. When asked about her future goals, Kaarin Holter, attending the USAFA next year, said that, “My long term goal is to become an Air Force pilot. Being specific, I would love to fly F-22s, although I would be happy with almost any fighter/bomber. But, in the near future at USAFA, I would love to be involved in student leadership positions, play in a competitive club sport, and succeed both academically and militarily. I would love to stay in touch with my fellow Falcons and R-MA USAFA friends and continue to strengthen those bonds.”
These young women have been working hard towards achieving their dreams. But the relationships they have formed along the way, and the values they have learned through the acquisition of responsibility and accountability, have taken their achievements to the next level.
Giving a final note of advice to young women looking to apply to service academies in the future, Rachel Ninan said, “Work hard and try your best in everything you do. Broaden your horizons in education and physical capabilities. Don’t be afraid to get out of your comfort zone.” We couldn’t agree more with Kaarin’s final piece of advice: “Prepare yourself through hard work. Every step of every mile is worth it.”
Congratulations to all of these young women and their achievements! We can’t wait to see what they accomplish in the coming years.
Interested in learning more about our private academy?
Contact R-MA for more information!