CADET REALIZES DREAM; LITTLEROCK MAN GRADUATES FROM WEST POINT WITH ACADEMIC HONORS.Byline: Bhavna Mistry Daily News Staff Writer When Jeff Kelley left Littlerock four years ago he took with him nothing but a dream. The 21-year-old returned home last week with a commission as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army and a diploma certifying he had accomplished his dream and graduated from U.S. Military Academy at West Point. ``I had a lot of expectations,'' Kelley said. ``But being able to mold yourself to graduate from West Point, it really is a dream come true.'' Kelley graduated 78th out of class of 896 - finishing in the top 10 percent. He concentrated his studies on economics, earning a bachelor's of science degree. He graduated Phi Kappa Phi The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi (or simply Phi Kappa Phi) is the oldest, largest and most selective all-discipline honor society for land-grant and public colleges in the United States. for ranking in the top 10 percent of his class. Kelley was presented with the Superintendent's Award in his junior and senior years for maintaining a grade-point average about 3.5. In his senior year he earned a 4.0 average. He also received the Daughters of 1812 Award for Excellence in International Relations international relations, study of the relations among states and other political and economic units in the international system. Particular areas of study within the field of international relations include diplomacy and diplomatic history, international law, . West Point students are in class from August to May like students at any civilian university. But during the summer months and a winter break, they get military training. ``There's definitely time when it's difficult,'' Kelley said. ``But their intent is to push you.'' As part of his West Point schooling, Kelley interned at the U.S. State A U.S. state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of the United States, although four states use the official title "commonwealth". The separate state governments and the federal government share sovereignty, in that an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and Trade Representative's Office in Washington, D.C., was a stand-in platoon leader A platoon leader or platoon commander is the officer in command of a platoon. This person is usually a junior officer — a second or first lieutenant, or an equivalent rank. He is usually assisted by a platoon sergeant. in Germany and studied Spanish in Mexico City Mexico City Spanish Ciudad de México City (pop., 2000: city, 8,605,239; 2003 metro. area est., 18,660,000), capital of Mexico. Located at an elevation of 7,350 ft (2,240 m), it is officially coterminous with the Federal District, which occupies 571 sq mi . ``I've been lucky,'' Kelley said. ``There's a lot of things that I wouldn't be able to do if I wasn't at West Point.'' Although Kelley's uncle, father, two grandfathers and brother all have military backgrounds, he was the first to attend West Point. `We're just so proud and really honored,'' said his mother, Valerie Kelley. ``It was not only an honor for him to attend West Point, but it was an honor for us as well.'' Kelley will spend the next four months at Fort Knox Fort Knox [for Henry Knox], U.S. military reservation, 110,000 acres (44,515 hectares), Hardin and Meade counties, N Ky.; est. 1917 as a training camp in World War I. It became a permanent post in 1932. In the steel and concrete vaults of the U.S. in Kentucky for his officer's basic training course and then go to Fort Carson Fort Carson is a United States Army installation and a Census Designated Place located immediately south of Colorado Springs in El Paso County, Colorado, United States and just north of Pueblo, Colorado in Pueblo County Colorado. , Colo. ``I'm looking forward to getting into my career,'' Kelley said. ``It will be exciting to put into practice what I've been taught.'' Although Kelley hasn't decided what he wants to do when his mandatory five years of Army duty are completed, he has thought about opening his own business or going back to West Point to teach. ``I want to leave my options open,'' Kelley said. ``If I really like what I'm doing, there's no doubt that I'll stay. Right now I don't want to think about it. I don't want to take any of my time away from the Army.'' CAPTION(S): Photo Photo: (color in Verb 1. color in - add color to; "The child colored the drawings"; "Fall colored the trees"; "colorize black and white film" color, colorise, colorize, colour in, colourise, colourize, colour AV edition only) Jeff Kelley was graduated with academic honors from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. |
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion