“West Point Was the Mountain I Had to Climb”: Finishing Strong as a Caring and Compassionate Leader

Liliane Delva grew up in South Florida with seven siblings, including her twin sister, and parents who immigrated from Haiti. She attended four different high schools and then enlisted in the Army as a preventive medicine specialist. An officer she worked with introduced the idea of applying to West Point, which led to her acceptance to the US Military Academy Preparatory School (USMAPS). Following that year, she entered West Point with the Class of 2008. As a cadet, Liliane participated in both the Glee Club and the Cadet Gospel Choir. She selected Adjutant General Corps for her branch and served in numerous junior officer positions at Fort Stewart and in Korea. In 2017, after earning an MA from Duke University in Latin American History, she returned to West Point to teach in the Department of History. In this interview, Liliane tells the fascinating story of her journey, and how she dealt with setbacks along the way to achieve her goals, both as a cadet and an officer. The interview concludes with her thoughts about what she learned during her tour as an instructor, and her reflections on what West Point means to her.