Their message sounds simple but has been the root of their success. Don’t stay discouraged while pursuing your goals.
That’s the collective advice from Cadet Cpl. Nathan Davis and Cade Cpl. Jasmine Muñoz, who are entering their second year at the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York, after attending the New Mexico Military Institute in Roswell.
“I’d say definitely try their best to reach their goals and not to be discouraged at all,” Muñoz said in an interview with KOB.
“You should follow your dreams. Don’t settle for less,” Davis said.
The two NMMI products have been tested just about every step of the way during their journey to one of the most prestigious colleges in the world. It’s a place where future military leaders are shaped.
“I’m certainly not the same person I was when we last spoke, all the way back in Roswell,” Davis told KOB. “It’s very humbling for me.”
Proving they belong and can succeed in such a competitive and tradition-rich environment is a success within itself. There are always doubts to conquer.
“Especially when you look around and you say, ‘Hey, you know, this kid is smarter than me, this kid is stronger than me,’ and it’s difficult not to compare yourself or place that on your shoulders,” Davis said.
Muñoz, a Silver City, New Mexico, native, found a community in her computer science field that is a source of encouragement.
“I think it’s a great feeling,” she said. “As women, you can come together and help each other out. Don’t be discouraged by the fact that women here are a minority.”
Muñoz is following in the footsteps of her grandfather, who died just before she was accepted to the academy.
“I think he’d be happy," she told KOB. "I definitely wish he could be here to see it. I’m just going to continue on with this and hopefully make him proud."
