By Violeta Panayotova

Imagine spending a weekend away from your family while talking about things you are interested in. Sounds like a dream? Going to camp is an unbelievable and unforgettable experience that everyone should have.

Two of our own Middle School students, Cole Montei, an eighth grader, and Brandon Byrne, a seventh grader, had the opportunity and they jumped on it. Last summer, those two Knights went to a West Point Summer Camp for four days to learn about the STEM field.

Brandon states, “That was a lot of fun.” The camp was at the West Point Academy campus and it covered robotics, coding, 3D printing which Brandon says was incredible. The group printed a bunch of tiny balls which took a few hours each but the end result was worth it.

In an interview, Cole said that they “learned about bridges and construction.” The classes were led by professors. Therefore, all of the participants were exposed to a very college-like life.

Not only did they learn about engineering, programming, and mechanics but they also were introduced to actual soldiers that go to the school. Cole makes the comment of that being “really cool and new.”

The participants were taught how to march and a lot of physical exercises were done. Cole was especially mesmerized by the number of push-ups they have done during the four days they were there. Although it sounds super hard, the two students say that it was fun and they got to meet a lot of new people that they are still in contact with.

The most awesome thing, however, is the fact that they got to sleep in the dorms of the academy. They were “big and open,” according to them, and the experience living in them even for a few days was remarkable. There were a few people that shared the rooms with them so that made it even better. Cole states that they had to wake up pretty early and go to bed early as well and every part of their schedule was precisely organized.

Brandon’s favorite place was a hill with a river flowing where they watched the sun setting and rising.

Even though it sounds scary and strict, everyone had a lot of fun and learned a lot that will help them in the future with their dream jobs. Both of them are going to apply for a more extended version of the camp which will give them yet another opportunity to explore the field so many want to follow.

The West Point Academy Summer Camp is a great opportunity to meet new people, explore a career choice that you may or may not be interested in and to be introduced to people that you would never think you would meet.