North Union senior Madelyn Zimmerman, center, was recognized Monday by the district board of education. She was accepted into the United States Military Academy at West Point after high school. Also pictured left to right are school board members Brian Davis, Matt Staley, Shelly Ehret, Matt Hall and Brad DeCamp.
(Journal-Tribune photo by Michael Williamson)
—
A North Union senior will be joining a small group of high school students accepted into the most recognized military academy in the country.
Madelyn Zimmerman was recently accepted into the United States Military Academy at West Point and was recognized by the North Union Board of Education at the regular meeting Monday night.
Superintendent Justin Ufferman, who also knew Zimmerman when he served as high school principal, said the accomplishment brings a lot of pride to the district.
“We are just really excited for you, for your family and very, very proud, very proud of what you’re going to represent for North Union,” he told her at the board meeting.
Only 12% of applicants get accepted and classes often have a smaller percentage of females.
According to West Point, “4,400 members of the Corps of Cadets represent every state in the U.S. and several foreign countries. About 1,200 New Cadets enter the Academy on Reception Day each year (about July 1st). Approximately 15% of the Corps of Cadets are women.”
Students accepted into the program also have to achieve high academic honors.
“Academics account for about 60% of (the application) score,” according to information from West Point. “To qualify academically at West Point, you should have an above average high school or college academic record.”
All of that is a combination of high school grades and standardized test scores. The academy also looks at transcripts for freshman, sophomore, junior and first semester senior year when making the student acceptance decisions.
Ufferman said Zimmerman more than met those standards.
“What you have to get on an SAT score to even do this – probably our combined totals in this room wouldn’t have made it to what you got,” he said.
While at North Union, Zimmerman achieved numerous school honors including the McElheny Book Award twice, Outstanding Academic Achievement awards in several classes, several state FFA awards, Student of the Month, 2022 Foundations Art Award, Dean’s List at Marion Technical College – Fall 2022 and the College Board National Rural and Small Town Recognition Program.
She also participated in several extracurricular activities including National Honor Society, FFA, Spanish Club, Students of Service and Living Hope Youth Group.
As a token of the school’s pride and recognition, Ufferman presented Zimmerman with a challenge coin.
“Challenge coins are part of the United States military. Challenge coins actually have a little bit of a history. Challenge coins go back all the way maybe to Roman times and when you were distinguished on the battlefield or whatever it was, you revived these coins and that was a sign of the great things that you did,” Ufferman said. “They kind of made a resurgence at the end of World War I and particularly with the United States Army in World War II.”
According to the department of defense website, challenge coins are “synonymous with the military tradition meant to instill pride and reward excellence.”
“A lot of times they’re traded throughout the military and it’s a sign of honor when you do that,” Ufferman said. “So, I’m going to present you with our North Union challenge coin. I hope you keep it near and dear to your heart and that you take it with you and as you grow your own set of challenge coins, you think back and always remember that you’re always a wildcat and this is always your home.”
Board President Brian Davis echoed Ufferman’s comments.
“We are proud of Madelyn. She will represent North Union very well at West Point,” he said. “Congratulations to her.”
Zimmerman is set to graduate this spring with the class of 2024.