During senior year, many students plan on seeking a path in higher education. Senior Henry Bodde’s interest was sparked when his brother, Pattonville alum Max Bodde, went to the United States Military Academy at West Point in New York, which Bodde also plans on attending in the fall of 2017.
“My brother sparked my interest to go there and encouraged me to look into it, but he isn’t the reason I want to go there,” Bodde said. “Last summer, I was accepted into their Summer Leadership Experience and got to spend a week up there touring and taking classes and doing military training and team building exercises and I really enjoyed all of that and realized that it was what I wanted to do. Like that feeling when you visit a school and can see yourself going there and it just clicks. I want to help others and make a difference and serving is one way to do that and a service academy just felt like the right thing for me to do.”
Bodde has done many things to make himself stand out to the Academy. They look for students who are involved both inside and outside of school.
“They look for students who excel academically, who are athletic and involved in sports, leaders at school and in the community, and involved in school,” Bodde said. “I believe I am helping better my chances of getting in by doing very well in school and working hard, getting involved in clubs and sports like swimming, water polo, half-marathon, NHS, PALs, etc. Earning leadership roles in those clubs and sports, and staying fit and active, are good too.”
The Bodde family took a trip to Baltimore, Maryland, to watch the Army/Navy football game. This trip made Bodde excited about West Point and he hopes to be accepted. West Point notifies applicants as early as February and as late as April.
“My family decided to go to the Army/Navy game because it is a huge event at the two schools and in college football and it is a really cool experience to get to watch in person, especially when Army breaks a 14-year losing streak,” Bodde said. “Also, if I get accepted there, West Point graduates go to the army, so that’s what branch of the military I would enter.”
Bodde is excited to hear back from the military academy and is also excited about his major.
“I like science, so I’m thinking about majoring in life sciences, which is a combination of biology and chemistry,” Bodde said. “Before they make a decision, I have to get a nomination from a congressman or senator so I’ll need to hear about that first. I’m excited to hear a decision, but I’m also nervous too.”
