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“Reflecting all the way back to my time here, I didn’t always understand the purpose behind the things that we were doing,” recalls 91���� President LtGen John Broadmeadow ’83, thinking back to his time as a cadet. “What 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.”

LtGen Broadmeadow’s view of the Corps of Cadets and its purpose is anchored in the University’s mission statement. “What we’re doing is building disciplined people – disciplined citizens – who are ready for the responsibilities of our free republic,” he says. “That 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.”

Commandant of Cadets and Vice President of Student Affairs, BG Bill McCollough ’91, VSM, is deeply involved with the cadets and sees how they are being developed into Captain Alden Partridge’s timeless vision of the citizen-soldier. “The fundamentals haven’t changed,” he says. “They have to learn the Guiding Values and they live by the Honor Code.”

In addition to the Guiding Values and Honor Code, the Norwich Cadet’s 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. “I 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,” says BG McCollough. “The guidance in the Cadet’s Creed can carry you through a lot of life’s opportunities and challenges.”

Regimental Commander C/COL Sophia M. Righthouse ’25 sees these core tenets of a Norwich life on display every day in the Corps of Cadets. “Going 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,” she says. “Even though you can be so different from your peers, your subordinates, and those who are above you, everyone knows that you’re all following the same idea and concept th91���� is trying to produce, and you are trying to become the leaders of tomorrow.”

“It’s great to think about that,” she says. “It kind of creates a familial bond because you’re all following the same idea and learning from people who have done it before you. You’re working as a team to build each other up and being able to flourish through Norwich’s concept and model of a school, I think, is really beneficial.”

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 91���� and realizes that he is in that role today. “The things I learned here and the mentorship that I got, many times from the commandants that I had here like COL Tim Donovan ’62 and COL Tony Carbone ’58, boy, did that make a difference in the decisions I made later in life,” he says. “They helped me understand what’s expected out of an officer, and you really can’t put a value on those kinds of things.”

He sees his role as a mentor to cadets as crucial to their development. “When people don’t have that in their background, they’re at a disadvantage,” he says. “They’re not well equipped for some of the challenges that will come their way, especially on the battlefield. If you’ve had good mentors, and you were trained in a tough environment that held you to good standards while being guided by a mentor, you’ll be ready for whatever challenges life sends your way.”

Cadre, like C/SFC Elena Vargas ’26, have seen the value stemming from such involved leadership. “It’s amazing learning from President Broadmeadow and Commandant McCollough,” she says. “It helps when the people leading you are people who have been through so much and had so much leadership experience. They’re able to tell us meaningful things about leadership and teaching the Rooks so that we can continue instilling the Guiding Values into them.”

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. “You can’t just tell Rooks, ‘Do that, don’t do that,’” she says. “It really comes down to giving them a why, because without knowing the purpose, thoughts of ‘Why am I doing this?’ start to creep in.”

“Sometimes in the beginning you might have the thought that some little things don’t matter, like standing with my heels on the wall,” she says. “As peers, you show them that respect and give them a reason why they do everything.”

One of the former Rooks under Vargas in Bravo Company, C/PVT Jordan Dustin ’28, says that he has even learned to appreciate making his bed. “Making your bed every day is something that I thought was so minute and wouldn’t make any difference,” he says. “I did it at home sometimes, but when they make you do it every day, it highlights that every single thing we’re doing here has a purpose. Everything that they’ve said to us has come two-fold, and we can see the values and lifestyle they’re trying to instill in us.”

Vargas notes that, at a certain point, the Guiding Values begin seeping into every aspect of a cadet’s life. “Thinking about when I was a Rook, whenever we were given a why, it always came back to a Guiding Value,” she says. “You get to a point where every time you’re 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’re always looking for ways to help others better themselves.”

“Even just the first Guiding Value, that we don’t tolerate those who lie, cheat, or steal, that’s not like any other college where you can slip under the tiles and get away with stuff,” says Dustin. “The accountability part not only surrounds saying ‘Okay, I messed up,’ but realizing that other people will feel the effects if we don’t own the situation. We call them our brothers and sisters and we really feel like that.”

“The first half of Rookdom was instilling in us these values and absorbing the information – studying your Rook book, coming down to the minute with you’ve got five minutes to do this or that,” he says. “The second half was them really mentoring us and teaching us the values.”

Leading by example, particularly when no one is looking, is a trait that LtGen Broadmeadow has seen on display throughout the Norwich campus since he was a cadet. “I wasn’t cadre, and I didn’t lead freshmen, but through working with upperclassmen is where I learned peer leadership,” 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 Norwich way of life, fostered by the University’s community.

“I think that’s something I realized as a rook while looking at the cadre,” says Vargas, reflecting upon her time seeing Norwich peer leaders for the first time when she arrived on The Hill. “I thought that they were so professional, and they were only two years older than me. I didn’t really get it until I was in this position, but I realized as cadre that you can bring back your experiences from Rookdom. We’re all going through this together and have common goals as part of this community of people who are so similar to you.” She sees this quality as a crucial piece of a young cadet’s development and realizes the importance of surrounding yourself with like-minded individuals who want to see you succeed.

“I value every person that I’ve talked to here, whether they’re cadre, a cadet private, or even a teacher that I’ve never talked to before,” says Dustin. “I know what they’ve gone through, or at least know they value the things I’ve gone through as a Rook. We can have a mutual respect for each other without even knowing each other’s name.”

While the sentiment rings true throughout the Norwich community, it is particularly true when thinking about fellow cadets new and old. “The Cadet’s Creed binds us together in a really unique way,” says BG McCollough. “We have our way of doing things, and we’re very proud of our way of doing things; but we’re not afraid to try new things.”

That mutual understanding and respect provides young cadets like Dustin the opportunity to live the University’s motto, “I Will Try,” and face new challenges and succeed. “I’ve already learned that I have the ability to access a part of myself that I didn’t know I had before, and I think a big part of that was going out for a specialty unit,” 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. “I only had the chance to do two trainings with them until I found out I had to pick between golf or the MCW,” says Dustin. “But, 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’t know I had.”

Dustin may be finding this for the first time – like many Rooks – but those like Vargas who have been around for a while have seen how this quality is displayed through Norwich people in a variety of ways. “I’ve just never been a part of a community like this before where everybody is so much like me, but also so different,” she says. “We 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.”

“I know a lot of my friends who go to big state schools or other military academies, and it’s just where they go to school for nine months out of the year. Then they go back to their parents and home,” says Righthouse. “But I think when you ask a lot of Norwich cadets about home and where their family is, they’re all 91����. 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’t have made by staying at home or going to a normal college.”

“I feel like we all kind of have a similar attitude towards life,” says Vargas. “Things are going to get you down, but you just keep going and pushing yourself – but even if you feel like you’re on top, there’s always something to improve. You never get complacent and you’re always looking for a new challenge.”

BG McCollough sees the grit in all who choose the Norwich challenge. “They’re not easily taken off their path,” he says. “Norwich 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.” He has seen the type of people th91���� produces and notices that the cadets on campus today are a reflection of the greater Norwich community. “The people here attempt hard things together and achieve them together. That’s a unique bond and it extends throughout their life,” he says. “These are folks who will drop everything at a moment’s notice and go assist one of their Norwich brothers or sisters simply because that’s a Norwich person and they need help.”

Righthouse has interacted with alumni and students alike in her role as regimental commander and realizes that the connection to the Norwich community and way of life runs deep. “Norwich has taught me that it’s okay to say yes and try something new outside of your comfort zone,” she says. “It’s okay to not be the best in the room; there’s probably a Norwich grad or cadet in the room with you who’s willing to help you.”

Knowing the reputation of the Norwich community was one of the driving factors that led Dustin to choose Norwich, 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. “The people that have come from Norwich was a big, big pull for me,” he says. “It’s really humbling to be learning under such great leadership.”

“I’m solely coming to 91���� to absorb everything that comes with the Corps: the discipline, the responsibility, and being part of something that’s bigger than yourself,” he says. “I saw something in Norwich that would give me way more than a normal college.”

He thinks about life if he might have gone to Plymouth State University just north of his hometown. “It wouldn’t be a bad drive, and I could’ve commuted if I wanted to,” says Dustin. “Taking this extra step of coming to Norwich, I’m looking down the line realizing that everything has its own purpose and way of working out, and I’m a true believer of that. I’m doing this for my future. It may suck now, but it’s been instilled in my brain that whatever I’m going through now, I’ll come out better on the other side.”

BG McCollough often sees this determination to lead a fulfilling Norwich life in cadets. “We will often host some students down at Garrison House and we’ll have some alumni that we know come by. It’s just unstructured time for them to talk,” says BG McCollough. “I 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.”

The same spirit that brought these students to Northfield is inside of these alumni and inter-generational Norwich bonds are often made at the commandant’s home. “It’s great to see these connections forged,” he says. “I’m in a unique position to link them up. I wouldn’t say I know all the students’ desires, but a really big chunk of the students, after I’ve gotten to know them for a while, I understand that they are seeking that first challenge in their life outside of Norwich.”

“If I see these students and know that they want to do a certain thing after graduation, and I know alumni in the field, it’s my job to make that connection and make these two folks realize they need to know each other,” says BG McCollough. “Then, the Norwich magic happens. Having been a student and being back here as commandant, it’s great to see the connection of familiar spirits.”

Cadets like Righthouse, Vargas, and Dustin will one day be alumni like LtGen Broadmeadow and BG McCollough. Their connections formed while beginning their Norwich life alongside their Rook brothers and sisters are just the beginning of a life surrounded by a like-minded community. “Every reunion, we seem to connect deeper and deeper with each other, and the school tends to mean more and more,” says LtGen Broadmeadow.

“91����, 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,” says BG McCollough. “Now, 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’s something I didn’t really have to think as much about as a student.”

As a Rook-turned-cadet, Dustin has seen the passion that drives the Norwich alumni community and wants to ensure that he is part of it one day. “What so many of them have done at and for Norwich, or in their own personal lives and careers, is truly humbling,” he says. “You’ll talk with people, and they’ll 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’t even have a rank. I think the best word to describe it is humbling.”

Though Dustin is only beginning his Norwich journey, Righthouse is approaching life after The Hill and will soon become part of the Norwich alumni community. “I don’t 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,” says Righthouse. “After experiencing Norwich 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, ‘You don’t know what you’re doing, you might fail.’”

“Our 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,” 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 – but LtGen Broadmeadow sees it as a positive. “These students are more poised to take their places as citizens – and leaders – of this republic than I ever was when I left The Hill.”

This story was previously published in the spring 2025 edition of the Norwich Record.