Inspired By His Mom, West Orange Teen Earns Spot At West Point

WEST ORANGE, NJ — West Orange High School senior Jonathan Roberson will be attending one of the most prestigious military institutions in the nation, his alma mater announced Thursday: West Point.

Roberson has committed to West Point Military Academy Preparatory School, district administrators said, praising the teen’s tenaciousness and hard work.

For his part, the teen had one big shout-out for a special person in his life: his mother.

“My mother was in the Army for 11 years and has been serving in the Air Force for nine years,” Roberson said. “She’s the reason for my strict upbringing and has been the motivating force behind me in this process.”

The WOHS student elaborated about the origin of his West Point aspirations to school administrators:

“At 6-years-old, I told my mother I wanted to go to West Point and she simply took it as a joke, as I was only a child with no clue of the hard work and determination that was needed to achieve that goal. As time progressed, it became clear to her and myself, that I did indeed have the determination and work ethic to do so. In my junior year at West Orange High School, my mother signed me up for Air Force JROTC. It was not something I necessarily wanted to do, but I did it without hesitation.”

While Roberson at first felt he wanted to join the Air Force, his mind changed after attending West Point's Summer Leaders Experience.

“I was very impressed by the camaraderie and leadership,” Roberson said. “There I learned that I had to work well with other groups, have perseverance, be able to maintain my academic and social responsibilities, and more. I willingly accepted and worked to achieve all of these things, wanting to be the best leader I can.”

In addition to his participation in the ROTC, Roberson plays football and lacrosse. He plans to major in engineering psychology at West Point, school officials said.

“Attending the United States Military Academy is not supposed to be easy and yet it produces some of the greatest leaders the world has ever seen,” Roberson said. “It provides you with the knowledge you need to be a moral individual and a leader in society. I want to acquire the skills that many before me have, in hopes that one day I can use them, on active duty or not, to better the life of someone else.”

“To me it is more than the rank… this is something that is going to impact the rest of my life,” Roberson concluded.

• See related article: Caldwell Teen Earns West Point Appointment, Prestigious Scout Award
• See related article: 1st Female West Orange High School Student Accepted To West Point
• See related article: Bloomfield High School Student Headed To West Point

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