The West Point Military Academy will be adding a Southern Lehigh cadet-in-training next fall, senior Jenna Forrester. She plans to major in a life science or a foreign language, such as Arabic or Spanish. With her eyes set on the Medical Corps branch, she will compete as a Black Knight with West Point’s swimming & diving team.

Founded in 1802, the prestigious school located in West Point, New York, has a very low acceptance rate of nine percent, with just under 5000 undergraduates enrolled. In order to be considered for acceptance, each hopeful must obtain a recommendation letter from a congressional representative. Congressman Charlie Dent wrote Forrester’s letter.

“I went up for a junior day and fell in love with the school and the people there. I continued my application and went back up for an official visit and knew it was for me,” Forrester said. “I hadn’t really thought of West Point until junior year when I began my college search and saw the opportunity to get one of the top educations in the country, and then help defend our country.”

Tuition is entirely funded by the U.S. Army in exchange for active-service duty obligation. On top of that, a first-year cadet earns more than 900 dollars a month, and the amount increases each year. A portion of that cadet pay is deposited into a personal checking account. Another portion of cadet pay is deposited to a “cadet account” that is used to help a cadet pay for expenses such as uniforms, books, a computer, or activity fees.

Each student is referred to as cadet, and will graduate as a second lieutenant in the Army. After West Point, second lieutenants must serve for five years on active duty. After West Point Jenna plans to go to the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, a medical school for the uniformed services, to one day become a military trauma surgeon.

“I’m most excited for being a part of the swim team and getting to know all of them,” Forrester said. “I’m also really excited to get my uniforms!”

One would think an intense army academy would be all work and no play, but Forrester is not phased. She is reassured that the cadets find ways to have fun.

“Being on the swim team it will be much different than not being on a team,” Forrester said. “I will spend most of my day with my team; they will make the experience more enjoyable and easier.”