“I’m Going To Prove Them Wrong”: Working Hard To Achieve Success At West Point

Nathania “Naty” Nuño grew up in a small town in Arizona and in Mexico with her father, step-mother, and younger brother. She is very proud of where she is from, but understands that it is a poor area without a lot of the advantages found in other parts of the country. In school, she participated in a variety of sports, and placed a heavy emphasis on her education. Much of her inspiration is derived from her father, who served in the Army and is now a career law enforcement officer. She knew she wanted to serve her country, and her father recommended she pursue a commission, so she applied to all five service academies (Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, and Merchant Marine). She was accepted and nominated for all five, and got to meet Senator John McCain in the process. She and her father came to West Point the day before R-Day, and she was touched to learn that her father, who remained stoic on the outside, cried after she reported in. Throughout her time at West Point she has faced challenges and has improved through meeting her own goals. She is the Cadet in Charge of the Spanish Club, and has been called on to translate for Spanish speaking visitors to West Point, including Sandhurst Competition Teams from Central and South America. Through translating, she’s come to appreciate the diversity of language, realizing that each region or country has a unique vocabulary. She serves as the Respect Captain for 3rd Regiment and enjoys helping Cadets resolve differences. She was on an exchange program in Peru when the COVID-19 pandemic began and returned to quarantine with her family in Arizona, where poor WIFI posed a challenge in the virtual semester. She selected Adjutant General as a branch because she’s always “wanted to help people,” and during branch week she felt that her personality meshed with the AG personnel she talked with. Finally, she appreciates the education she’s received at West Point, and wants to be a positive role model for others from her area of Arizona who may want to attend an academy.