Going to the nation’s most highly regarded military schools was always a dream for senior Simon Lee. By prioritizing his health and fitness, while also taking numerous honor and AP classes, Lee was able to make the cut out of thousands of applicants.

While West Point Academy may not be like most of the other colleges and universities Lee’s peers will attend, he has no problem going down a different path.

“I’ve always heard stories and seen videos about what goes on at West Point, and I always think to myself that that is where I want to be. So honestly, knowing that I’m not going to have the typical college experience feels like a huge relief,” Lee said. “West Point has been my goal since I was in seventh grade, but I’ve been set on joining the military since I was four.”

Staying in shape and keeping up with his athletics was extremely important for Lee to remain up to par with top applicants. In order to stay in shape, Lee became involved in gymnastics and also works out outside of sports.

“During the summer I usually run 4-5 miles a day along with some standard calisthenics like push ups, pull ups, etc.. But during the school year I usually don’t have much time to run, so I spend most of my time training in the gymnastics gym,” Lee said.

Gymnastics coach Adrian Batista is impressed by Lee’s skills, but he also believes he will have to push himself to much higher limits in the coming years.

“It is going to be a huge challenge for anyone to be successful at West Point. I truly hope his success in gymnastics, his dedication and motivation at practice and his drive to be a strong team player will give him the skills to be a strong member of West Point. Fortunately, he is not the first gymnast I know who has entered and been successful at WP,” Batista said. “I know that being a gymnast leads to strong character and determination. This will help him become an excellent soldier and officer. I look forward to hearing about his success at West Point.”

When thinking about the great amount of history and importance of his future school, Lee is excited to be a part of something bigger.

“It feels exciting to know that I am going to be a part of something that has a tradition spanning for almost as long as America has,” Lee said. “It’s even more surreal that I am going to be a part of a lineage that boasts generals and presidents.”

One of Lee’s closest friends senior Anthony Ty is incredibly proud of his accomplishments and he knows Lee will be able to push himself to succeed.

“I think he will prosper at West Point because of his level of work ethic. If he puts his mind to something, he really goes for it and will not stop till he gets what he wants,” Ty said. “I think that’s how he stands out, and with his morals, he spreads that to people around him, and he even inspires people without knowing.”