How NMMI Changed My Life
By: Cadet Nick Valentine
When I first stepped on post, I knew I was entering one of the most developmental chapters of my life yet. I was 16 years old, entering my junior year of high school, and to be honest I did not have a strong grasp of what I was doing at New Mexico Military Institute. The only real reason why I came was to better prepare myself for an appointment to one of the Service Academies, but I did not know how I was going to do that once I stepped into the cadet uniform.
There was a specific point in my time at the Institute when I realized my true purpose at NMMI, but it was long after my first steps as a Recruit at Training. It was when I looked in the mirror a few minutes before my high school graduation, dressed in my formal Summer A uniform as a Cadet 1st Sergeant, one of the highest ranks a high schooler can achieve at the Institute. I was different, but in a positive way. I stood taller, I looked sharper, and I confidence in my path in life. I was a NMMI Cadet, and that something I have the honor of carrying with me for the rest of my life. The cool thing about that is, there is no one that will ever be able to take that away from me. I had found myself at the Institute, through the countless push-ups, vigorous academics, and most importantly the relationships I built at NMMI. I had tapped into wo I truly am.
Now, as a returning cadet at New Mexico Military Institute, I have carried that confidence I assumed during my high school years into my college career. I brought the momentum of finishing high school strong with me, and I have not let anything get in my way of finding more about who I am. That is what NMMI does for you, it opens a gateway into finding your true self. However, the choice is yours… Will you embark on the journey of an NMMI Cadet?
