A heartfelt thank you to all the Old Grads, parents, and friends who supported the Challenge and encouraged others to join! Over 330 different funds, including 100 Cadet Activities and Clubs, will be impacted by the 4.4 million dollars raised. The Class of 2025 Parents won the Parent Challenge and pizza for their cadets. Once again, the Class of 1972 had the highest active class participation, the Class of 1994 had the most donors, and the Class of 1976 had the most money raised. The Class of 1977 chose to memorialize each deceased classmate through West Point Challenge gifts. A special thank you to our oldest grad, COL (R) Francis K. Newcomer '39, for his donation. Challenge by the numbers.

In a Corps-wide Mess Hall ceremony on May 5, Mike Krzyzewski ’69 discussed the imperative of teams having the moral and ethical values to win. After his speech, three cadets and three staff members received the Award for Excellence in Teaching Character Through Sport (commonly referred to as the “Coach K Awards”) for performing at the highest standard and demonstrating noble character in their respective sports. Read more.

West Point's 23rd annual Projects Day on April 28 showcased more than 400 research capstone projects by over 1,000 cadets. The day highlighted academic excellence across USMA showcasing leaders of character who will employ their education to help build the Army and the nation’s future. WPAOG also celebrated Donor Tribute Day, WPAOG's opportunity to thank our Margin of Excellence donors and give them an opportunity to see the impact they have on cadet capstone projects. View photos.

Congratulations to all the teams that competed in the 2022 Sandhurst Military Skills Competition. The U.S. Air Force Academy took home first place overall. USMA Gold and USMA Black finished in second and third place, respectively. The USCC Performance Award went to Company C-3. Sandhurst is a two-day competition featuring teams from West Point, Army ROTC units across the U.S., all service academies, and 16 international teams. The military skills competition inspires excellence through rigorous physical and mental challenges that reflect the tempo, uncertainty and combat operations tasks. Read more.

On April 30, for the first time in program history, Army West Point Men’s Rugby was crowned the D1A Men’s Rugby National Champions after powering past Saint Mary's, 20-8 at Aveva Stadium. CDT Koikoi Nelligan ’22 was named the MVP of the game. Read more.

WPAOG and the Highland Falls Intermediate School (HFIS) recently launched an after-school partnership program called CONNECT with the goal to provide new impactful learning opportunities for local students as part of assisting in the continuing economic and educational development of Highland Falls. On May 2, a “CONNECTing to our Community” event provided local students a walking tour of Highland Falls with visits to Memorial Park, the Fire House, the Center of Highland Falls, the Library and the Historical Society. At each stop, members of the town were excited to see new community connections igniting young minds and making a difference in students’ lives. Learn more.

In 2022, the WPAOG Nominating Committee will nominate graduates for five Director positions and six Advisor-at-Large positions.  To apply for a nomination, please see the instructions posted on the WPAOG website. The deadline for graduates to submit their completed applications is July 1. The 2022 election process will conclude on November 15 at 5pm EST, at the Annual Meeting of the Association of Graduates at Herbert Alumni Center.

WPAOG is thrilled to announce the return of our Grad Insider Tours! Available to Old Grads and their guests, Insider Tours take you behind the scenes of your Rockbound Highland Home. Show your family where it all happened: walk through Central and North areas, tour the Mess Hall and Jefferson Hall, and revisit memories from the boxing rings and Indoor Obstacle Course in Arvin Gym. You’ll also get to tour the Cadet Uniform Factory, where the Cadets’ distinct gray uniforms are all hand-made right here at West Point! Learn more and get tickets.

This episode features an interview with Mark McLaughlin ’88, Chairman of the Board at Qualcomm and Vice Chairman of the Board at Palo Alto Networks, a global cybersecurity leader working to shape the cloud-centric future with technology that is aimed at transforming the way people and organizations operate. McLaughlin talks about his non-linear career path that started after being medically discharged from the military because of a helicopter accident. He emphasizes the importance of networking with fellow alumni. Listen here.

The Military Times Foundation recently announced their Service Members of the Year award winners. Congratulations to Soldier of the Year, MAJ Nicholas Dockery '11, a 2017 Nininger Award Winner and Class of 2023 Downing Scholar; and 2022 Veteran of the Year, David Y. Kim '88. For the past 21 years, Service Members of the Year awards have honored one outstanding military (active duty, Guard or Reserve) member from each branch of service selected based on exemplary military service that goes beyond the call of duty.

On May 8, Army (27-21, 18-8 PL), who had already locked up the top seed in the Patriot League Tournament heading into the doubleheader, downed the Leopards 8-6 and finished the day with a 14-12 triumph. Prior to the start of the games, head coach Jim Foster and his staff honored the team's 11-member senior class, which included Cadets Nick Ashby (manager), Cam Cerruto, Brian Dawson, Blake Ledoux, Teddy Lepcio, Anthony LoRicco, Carter Macias, Nick Manesis, Hunter Meade, Andre Walden and Tristian Williams. Read more.

Let us hear your voices at the Glee Club Reunion held at West Point July 13-16, 2022. Our conductors will be Connie Chase, current director of the West Point Cadet Glee Club, and Dwayne Milburn, a former director of the Cadet Glee Club. Learn more and register.

Thank you to our Grads who suggested we offer a West Point carpet with an Academy theme! We heard you and are happy to present our Athena carpet, with or without customization. Made from the same hand knotted fine wool and silk as the Athletic Shield carpets we offered last fall, the Athena style is available in a 2x3 ft rectangle or a 3x3 ft round and is vegetable dyed with approximately 250 knots per square inch. Customized carpets with class year are available for limited time and must be pre-ordered at WPAOG Gift Shop. Add your class year to the comment section at check-out. If you prefer, give us a call at 800.426.4725 and order over the phone. View the entire selection at WPAOGGiftShop.com.