High school senior earns acceptance to West Point 

Michael Horne to attend prestigious United States Military Academy

When the packet arrived on March 28, Michael Horne was well aware that its contents held the promise of a bright future. Horne, a senior at Paso Robles High School, pried open the packet and his lifelong dream became a reality as he held the certificate confirming his appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point.

“I had been waiting for this day and when I opened that U.S. Postal Service package, I was beyond excited,” Horne said. “Now that I got into the college that I wanted, this dream of mine is coming true.”

His days since learning of his appointment to West Point have been busy. In addition to completing his senior year classes, Horne has mapped out a strict fitness routine. With the help of his parents, Debbie and Joe, he is completing a bevy of tasks that will enable him to be put into the government system such as undergoing finger print and background checks, dental work, immunizations, and more.

“Now that I’ve been accepted, I feel like everything I need to do moving forward is just part of this victory lap that I’m on as I prepare for the day I leave for West Point,” Horne said.

Following the footsteps of great American leaders

Why West Point? Horne, 18, said in his younger years, he would read history books and soon noticed a connecting red line, this university called West Point.

“Ever since I was a little boy I wanted to be a soldier. I read about great men such as Patton, Robert. E Lee, Ulysses Grant, and Eisenhower – they all went to West Point,” he said. “I always thought – ‘that’s for me.’ If I wanted to be a great American leader someday, then this is where I would have to go.”

As a government school, the application process starts in one’s junior year of high school, including physical and mental exams, an academic review, and letters of recommendation. After receiving a nomination from Congresswoman Lois Capps in February, Horne said his patience and faith were strengthened as he awaited his impending appointment to the Academy.

“The thing that is amazing to me is that Michael has wanted this for such a long time,” Debbie said. “He came to me one day and said, ‘if I am going to be president of the United States one day, I have to go to West Point.’ Michael has always been vested in this, he is very driven and intense, and so it was a huge relief when he got his acceptance.”

Listening to his mom, Horne smiles and nods as he recalls how he set out to achieve his goal of attending West Point.

“I believe that you have to have a vision before you accomplish something,” he said. “It takes the support and encouragement of others in your life, but it truly has to be an internal motivation.”

Sticking to his goal

In addition to his parents, he points to several mentors, teachers, and coaches that have supported and encouraged him along the way. Taking AP and Honors courses at Paso High helped to condition Horne for a college level approach to academics, he said.

“Coach Rich Schimke, my varsity football coach, helped me not just as a coach but also as a mentor as far as morals and life lessons; he helped me figure a few things out,” Horne said. “Mr. Aaron Cantrell, my AP Language and Literature teacher, encouraged me and always let me know that he believed in me. He even put up a few West Point pennants in his room.”

Cantrell says, “Michael has the biggest heart of anyone that I’ve ever met. Whether he’s in the classroom or on the field, he always gives100 percent – he is an extraordinary person, student, and athlete.”

Schimke uses “driven” and “passionate” when speaking about Horne, saying, “Michael is a leader and he doesn’t cut corners – his work ethic is so intense and so detail-oriented. He knew what he wanted to do, he had a plan, he stuck to his goal, and now here he is getting his appointment to West Point. I am just so proud of him.”

His older brother, Jesse, a 2011 graduate of PRHS, is currently attending West Point where he will graduate in May of 2015. During Horne’s second year at the Academy, he will choose a major and is leaning towards earning his Bachelor of Science degree in either Arabic or Russian.

“I would like to maybe be a translator or later work for a government agency or the State Department, so learning one of these languages would be an asset,” he said.

Based on his older brother’s experience, Horne is prepared for the tough work that lies ahead of him once he graduates from Paso High in June and heads to West Point two weeks later for six weeks of Basic Cadet Training (BCT or “BEAST”). The training is meant to break Horne into military life and give him the chance to see what life as a cadet will be like.

“They are trying to condition you to the rigors of military life,” he said.

Debbie adds, “It’s not your typical college or dorm life – you are living in a military barrack at a military university — your bed has to be made, there are inspections, and lifestyle rigors.”

Hard work & dedication

Outside of school, sports, and family life, Horne has worked at the California Mid-State Fair, manning and guarding the back door behind the VIP Skybox during concerts and events, worked as a foreman’s assistant at Haney Manufacturing and Fabrication, and he has been entrusted as a house and pet sitter for numerous friends and neighbors.

His involvement does not stop at paid work. Learning from his parents that giving back is essential, Horne volunteers at Loaves and Fishes, was part of the SCORE baseball missionary team’s trip to the Dominican Republic, handles PowerPoint music presentations at his home church, Covenant Presbyterian, and is president of the PRHS Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

“He has always been a hard worker,” Debbie said, “whether at school, with athletics, helping his family or others. Michael is just one of those kids that you can count on.”

Horne has received numerous academic and athletic accolades including being a four-time recipient of the Lion’s Club Sportsmanship Award, a state semi-finalist for the 2014 Lion’s Club speech contest and a 2014 California Boys’ state delegate; in 2012 he was named as a non-commissioned officer with the Civil Air Patrol. With a current grade point average of 4.17, Horne takes pride in taking a full course load at Paso High, including Advanced Placement classes, and being a member of the California Scholastic Federation.

An avid athlete, Horne played football and baseball for the Bearcats at the freshman level before moving up the varsity football team as a sophomore and joining the track and field team where he competed in shot-put and discus for two years. He was co-captain of the varsity Bearcat football team during his junior and senior years, is a Black Belt master in Tae Kwon Do, and his outstanding marks in power lifting have earned him a spot in the 1,000-lb. Club at the high school.

More about the U.S. Military Academy at West Point

According to information found at westpoint.edu, “The United States Military Academy’s mission is to educate, train and inspire the Corps of Cadets so that each graduate is a commissioned leader of character committed to the values of Duty, Honor, Country and prepared for a career of professional excellence and service to the nation as an officer in the United States Army. The Academy provides a superb four-year education, which focuses on the leader development of cadets in the academic, military, and physical domains, all underwritten by adherence to a code of honor.”

Additional site information states: “Being accepted for admission to the United States Military Academy (USMA) at West Point is an exceptional honor reserved for our nation’s most promising students. But it takes more than excellent grades to be accepted for admission. West Point wants leaders who are not only intelligent, who are physically fit and of outstanding character. Those who are selected to attend USMA receive a college education that is unparalleled in the world with tuition, room and board, and expenses fully paid.”