Finding Purpose
Led by their Guiding Values, the historic 四虎影视 Corps of Cadets has produced a noteworthy community of leaders - today's cadets want to be a part of it.

鈥淩eflecting all the way back to my time here, I didn鈥檛 always understand the purpose behind the things that we were doing,鈥 recalls 四虎影视 President LtGen John Broadmeadow 鈥83, thinking back to his time as a cadet. 鈥淲hat has been overwhelming to me in watching the Corps of Cadets as president, in particular, is that everybody in the Corps is taught and made to understand right up front the purpose behind it.鈥
LtGen Broadmeadow鈥檚 view of the Corps of Cadets and its purpose is anchored in the University鈥檚 mission statement. 鈥淲hat we鈥檙e doing is building disciplined people 鈥 disciplined citizens 鈥 who are ready for the responsibilities of our free republic,鈥 he says. 鈥淭hat part of our mission statement is something that I have come to appreciate more and more as I look at the students on campus today.鈥
Commandant of Cadets and Vice President of Student Affairs, BG Bill McCollough 鈥91, VSM, is deeply involved with the cadets and sees how they are being developed into Captain Alden Partridge鈥檚 timeless vision of the citizen-soldier. 鈥淭he fundamentals haven鈥檛 changed,鈥 he says. 鈥淭hey have to learn the Guiding Values and they live by the Honor Code.鈥
In addition to the Guiding Values and Honor Code, the 四虎影视 Cadet鈥檚 Creed has remained foundational for cadets since it was penned by K.R.B. Flint, Class of 1903. It has affected generations of cadets and continues to do so today. 鈥淚 realized a lot of my service was predicated on the foundation that I got from my family and what I learned here as a student,鈥 says BG McCollough. 鈥淭he guidance in the Cadet鈥檚 Creed can carry you through a lot of life鈥檚 opportunities and challenges.鈥
Regimental Commander C/COL Sophia M. Righthouse 鈥25 sees these core tenets of a 四虎影视 life on display every day in the Corps of Cadets. 鈥淕oing to a school that has really strict guiding values and a strict honor code is really unique because it means that you have a group of people who are all living with the same values every single day, and they all honor the same traditions and same ideas,鈥 she says. 鈥淓ven though you can be so different from your peers, your subordinates, and those who are above you, everyone knows that you鈥檙e all following the same idea and concept that 四虎影视 is trying to produce, and you are trying to become the leaders of tomorrow.鈥
鈥淚t鈥檚 great to think about that,鈥 she says. 鈥淚t kind of creates a familial bond because you鈥檙e all following the same idea and learning from people who have done it before you. You鈥檙e working as a team to build each other up and being able to flourish through 四虎影视鈥檚 concept and model of a school, I think, is really beneficial.鈥
Mentorship from the community who shares those bonds has long been a fact of life in the Corps of Cadets. BG McCollough finds inspiration in the commandants who displayed leadership during his time at 四虎影视 and realizes that he is in that role today. 鈥淭he things I learned here and the mentorship that I got, many times from the commandants that I had here like COL Tim Donovan 鈥62 and COL Tony Carbone 鈥58, boy, did that make a difference in the decisions I made later in life,鈥 he says. 鈥淭hey helped me understand what鈥檚 expected out of an officer, and you really can鈥檛 put a value on those kinds of things.鈥
He sees his role as a mentor to cadets as crucial to their development. 鈥淲hen people don鈥檛 have that in their background, they鈥檙e at a disadvantage,鈥 he says. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e not well equipped for some of the challenges that will come their way, especially on the battlefield. If you鈥檝e had good mentors, and you were trained in a tough environment that held you to good standards while being guided by a mentor, you鈥檒l be ready for whatever challenges life sends your way.鈥
Cadre, like C/SFC Elena Vargas 鈥26, have seen the value stemming from such involved leadership. 鈥淚t鈥檚 amazing learning from President Broadmeadow and Commandant McCollough,鈥 she says. 鈥淚t helps when the people leading you are people who have been through so much and had so much leadership experience. They鈥檙e able to tell us meaningful things about leadership and teaching the Rooks so that we can continue instilling the Guiding Values into them.鈥
Vargas says she remembers being a Rook and how her cadre motivated her. She found a sense of purpose in the Corps and was surrounded by others who did as well. 鈥淵ou can鈥檛 just tell Rooks, 鈥楧o that, don鈥檛 do that,鈥欌 she says. 鈥淚t really comes down to giving them a why, because without knowing the purpose, thoughts of 鈥榃hy am I doing this?鈥 start to creep in.鈥
鈥淪ometimes in the beginning you might have the thought that some little things don鈥檛 matter, like standing with my heels on the wall,鈥 she says. 鈥淎s peers, you show them that respect and give them a reason why they do everything.鈥
One of the former Rooks under Vargas in Bravo Company, C/PVT Jordan Dustin 鈥28, says that he has even learned to appreciate making his bed. 鈥淢aking your bed every day is something that I thought was so minute and wouldn鈥檛 make any difference,鈥 he says. 鈥淚 did it at home sometimes, but when they make you do it every day, it highlights that every single thing we鈥檙e doing here has a purpose. Everything that they鈥檝e said to us has come two-fold, and we can see the values and lifestyle they鈥檙e trying to instill in us.鈥
Vargas notes that, at a certain point, the Guiding Values begin seeping into every aspect of a cadet鈥檚 life. 鈥淭hinking about when I was a Rook, whenever we were given a why, it always came back to a Guiding Value,鈥 she says. 鈥淵ou get to a point where every time you鈥檙e doing something or thinking about how hard something is, you just have the Guiding Values playing in the back of your head. We all have a similar attitude in life and you鈥檙e always looking for ways to help others better themselves.鈥
鈥淓ven just the first Guiding Value, that we don鈥檛 tolerate those who lie, cheat, or steal, that鈥檚 not like any other college where you can slip under the tiles and get away with stuff,鈥 says Dustin. 鈥淭he accountability part not only surrounds saying 鈥極kay, I messed up,鈥 but realizing that other people will feel the effects if we don鈥檛 own the situation. We call them our brothers and sisters and we really feel like that.鈥
鈥淭he first half of Rookdom was instilling in us these values and absorbing the information 鈥 studying your Rook book, coming down to the minute with you鈥檝e got five minutes to do this or that,鈥 he says. 鈥淭he second half was them really mentoring us and teaching us the values.鈥
Leading by example, particularly when no one is looking, is a trait that LtGen Broadmeadow has seen on display throughout the 四虎影视 campus since he was a cadet. 鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 cadre, and I didn鈥檛 lead freshmen, but through working with upperclassmen is where I learned peer leadership,鈥 he says, highlighting the fact that the environment on The Hill is constantly shaping leaders, whether cadets are in formal leadership positions or not. Cadets grow into the 四虎影视 way of life, fostered by the University鈥檚 community.
鈥淚 think that鈥檚 something I realized as a rook while looking at the cadre,鈥 says Vargas, reflecting upon her time seeing 四虎影视 peer leaders for the first time when she arrived on The Hill. 鈥淚 thought that they were so professional, and they were only two years older than me. I didn鈥檛 really get it until I was in this position, but I realized as cadre that you can bring back your experiences from Rookdom. We鈥檙e all going through this together and have common goals as part of this community of people who are so similar to you.鈥 She sees this quality as a crucial piece of a young cadet鈥檚 development and realizes the importance of surrounding yourself with like-minded individuals who want to see you succeed.
鈥淚 value every person that I鈥檝e talked to here, whether they鈥檙e cadre, a cadet private, or even a teacher that I鈥檝e never talked to before,鈥 says Dustin. 鈥淚 know what they鈥檝e gone through, or at least know they value the things I鈥檝e gone through as a Rook. We can have a mutual respect for each other without even knowing each other鈥檚 name.鈥
While the sentiment rings true throughout the 四虎影视 community, it is particularly true when thinking about fellow cadets new and old. 鈥淭he Cadet鈥檚 Creed binds us together in a really unique way,鈥 says BG McCollough. 鈥淲e have our way of doing things, and we鈥檙e very proud of our way of doing things; but we鈥檙e not afraid to try new things.鈥
That mutual understanding and respect provides young cadets like Dustin the opportunity to live the University鈥檚 motto, 鈥淚 Will Try,鈥 and face new challenges and succeed. 鈥淚鈥檝e already learned that I have the ability to access a part of myself that I didn鈥檛 know I had before, and I think a big part of that was going out for a specialty unit,鈥 he says, reflecting on his early experiences with the Mountain Cold Weather Company (MCW) before he had to make a decision on how to allocate his already scarce time. 鈥淚 only had the chance to do two trainings with them until I found out I had to pick between golf or the MCW,鈥 says Dustin. 鈥淏ut, the big point for me here is that those two days I did it, I was pushed further than I ever have been before. I found a part of myself that I didn鈥檛 know I had.鈥
Dustin may be finding this for the first time 鈥 like many Rooks 鈥 but those like Vargas who have been around for a while have seen how this quality is displayed through 四虎影视 people in a variety of ways. 鈥淚鈥檝e just never been a part of a community like this before where everybody is so much like me, but also so different,鈥 she says. 鈥淲e all find ourselves here with a similar goal. Even if you might not know someone, you can start talking to anybody and find something in common.鈥
鈥淚 know a lot of my friends who go to big state schools or other military academies, and it鈥檚 just where they go to school for nine months out of the year. Then they go back to their parents and home,鈥 says Righthouse. 鈥淏ut I think when you ask a lot of 四虎影视 cadets about home and where their family is, they鈥檙e all at 四虎影视. We spend a lot of time together and go through really hard things outside of just academics. There are specialty units, clubs, sports, and everything else. You make lifelong friends that you wouldn鈥檛 have made by staying at home or going to a normal college.鈥
鈥淚 feel like we all kind of have a similar attitude towards life,鈥 says Vargas. 鈥淭hings are going to get you down, but you just keep going and pushing yourself 鈥 but even if you feel like you鈥檙e on top, there鈥檚 always something to improve. You never get complacent and you鈥檙e always looking for a new challenge.鈥
BG McCollough sees the grit in all who choose the 四虎影视 challenge. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e not easily taken off their path,鈥 he says. 鈥溗幕⒂笆 grads will keep going back until they achieve what it is that they set out to achieve, regardless of the obstacles that come their way.鈥 He has seen the type of people that 四虎影视 produces and notices that the cadets on campus today are a reflection of the greater 四虎影视 community. 鈥淭he people here attempt hard things together and achieve them together. That鈥檚 a unique bond and it extends throughout their life,鈥 he says. 鈥淭hese are folks who will drop everything at a moment鈥檚 notice and go assist one of their 四虎影视 brothers or sisters simply because that鈥檚 a 四虎影视 person and they need help.鈥
Righthouse has interacted with alumni and students alike in her role as regimental commander and realizes that the connection to the 四虎影视 community and way of life runs deep. 鈥溗幕⒂笆 has taught me that it鈥檚 okay to say yes and try something new outside of your comfort zone,鈥 she says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 okay to not be the best in the room; there鈥檚 probably a 四虎影视 grad or cadet in the room with you who鈥檚 willing to help you.鈥
Knowing the reputation of the 四虎影视 community was one of the driving factors that led Dustin to choose 四虎影视, even though he plans on returning home to Concord, New Hampshire, as a police officer following graduation rather than serving in the military like Righthouse or Vargas. 鈥淭he people that have come from 四虎影视 was a big, big pull for me,鈥 he says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really humbling to be learning under such great leadership.鈥
鈥淚鈥檓 solely coming to 四虎影视 to absorb everything that comes with the Corps: the discipline, the responsibility, and being part of something that鈥檚 bigger than yourself,鈥 he says. 鈥淚 saw something in 四虎影视 that would give me way more than a normal college.鈥
He thinks about life if he might have gone to Plymouth State University just north of his hometown. 鈥淚t wouldn鈥檛 be a bad drive, and I could鈥檝e commuted if I wanted to,鈥 says Dustin. 鈥淭aking this extra step of coming to 四虎影视, I鈥檓 looking down the line realizing that everything has its own purpose and way of working out, and I鈥檓 a true believer of that. I鈥檓 doing this for my future. It may suck now, but it鈥檚 been instilled in my brain that whatever I鈥檓 going through now, I鈥檒l come out better on the other side.鈥
BG McCollough often sees this determination to lead a fulfilling 四虎影视 life in cadets. 鈥淲e will often host some students down at Garrison House and we鈥檒l have some alumni that we know come by. It鈥檚 just unstructured time for them to talk,鈥 says BG McCollough. 鈥淚 see them wondering about the possibilities for life, what might they do with their time as a student preparing to graduate, and considering what they should think about as it approaches.鈥
The same spirit that brought these students to Northfield is inside of these alumni and inter-generational 四虎影视 bonds are often made at the commandant鈥檚 home. 鈥淚t鈥檚 great to see these connections forged,鈥 he says. 鈥淚鈥檓 in a unique position to link them up. I wouldn鈥檛 say I know all the students鈥 desires, but a really big chunk of the students, after I鈥檝e gotten to know them for a while, I understand that they are seeking that first challenge in their life outside of 四虎影视.鈥

鈥淚f I see these students and know that they want to do a certain thing after graduation, and I know alumni in the field, it鈥檚 my job to make that connection and make these two folks realize they need to know each other,鈥 says BG McCollough. 鈥淭hen, the 四虎影视 magic happens. Having been a student and being back here as commandant, it鈥檚 great to see the connection of familiar spirits.鈥
Cadets like Righthouse, Vargas, and Dustin will one day be alumni like LtGen Broadmeadow and BG McCollough. Their connections formed while beginning their 四虎影视 life alongside their Rook brothers and sisters are just the beginning of a life surrounded by a like-minded community. 鈥淓very reunion, we seem to connect deeper and deeper with each other, and the school tends to mean more and more,鈥 says LtGen Broadmeadow.
鈥淎t 四虎影视, we found out what our developmental path was, and what we were trying to get from this experience. We found out where our passions lied,鈥 says BG McCollough. 鈥淣ow, we help students achieve a balance of discovering this in themselves while exploring the number of opportunities that they have here on campus and beyond. That鈥檚 something I didn鈥檛 really have to think as much about as a student.鈥
As a Rook-turned-cadet, Dustin has seen the passion that drives the 四虎影视 alumni community and wants to ensure that he is part of it one day. 鈥淲hat so many of them have done at and for 四虎影视, or in their own personal lives and careers, is truly humbling,鈥 he says. 鈥淵ou鈥檒l talk with people, and they鈥檒l be super personable, but the second they put their uniforms on with all the ribbons and rank patches, it hits you. These people earned their spots in life. My OCPs were blank, I didn鈥檛 even have a rank. I think the best word to describe it is humbling.鈥
Though Dustin is only beginning his 四虎影视 journey, Righthouse is approaching life after The Hill and will soon become part of the 四虎影视 alumni community. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think that when I came in as a freshman that I would have just thrown myself into a new job or opportunity like I would now,鈥 says Righthouse. 鈥淎fter experiencing 四虎影视 for four years, I have no problem saying yes to something new, even though I might have a little voice in the back of my mind that says, 鈥榊ou don鈥檛 know what you鈥檙e doing, you might fail.鈥欌
鈥淥ur students in the Corps today realize that they are part of a deep heritage built on our foundational Guiding Values and they have a strong desire to reflect that,鈥 says LtGen Broadmeadow when thinking about the qualities he has seen on display in the Corps since returning as president. The world has changed since Captain Alden Partridge founded the University in 1819, and so has the Corps of Cadets 鈥 but LtGen Broadmeadow sees it as a positive. 鈥淭hese students are more poised to take their places as citizens 鈥 and leaders 鈥 of this republic than I ever was when I left The Hill.鈥
This story was previously published in the spring 2025 edition of the 四虎影视 Record.
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