Finding A Support Structure And An Identity: A Second-Generation West Pointer Forges Her Own Path

Sarah Locke knew that her mother (Pat Walker Locke, USMA ’80) expected her to attend West Point, and she resisted for several years, but eventually accepted an appointment to the Academy. It was not until her Yearling year that she chose to remain at West Point for herself, inspired by her TAC NCO, SFC Waterhouse, and her TAC Officer, MAJ Knox. Her TAC Team and the positive environment in Company A2 supported her development. She was a history major, which helped form her identity, and branched Military Police, inspired by SFC Waterhouse’s example. The interview was recorded about two weeks before graduation in 2015, and Sarah was looking forward to becoming a role model for the Officers and Soldiers she would lead. In this interview, she talks about her childhood and her experiences at West Point. She highlights changes between when her mother was a Cadet and her own observations. She provides her perspective on issues of race and gender at the Academy. Finally she talks about her goals for the future.