This spring, several exceptional cadets have been recognized with some of the nation’s most competitive and prestigious academic honors, underscoring the Academy’s commitment to developing leaders of character for our Nation. Members of the Class of 2025 and 2026 have earned scholarships that will take them to top graduate institutions, including Stanford, Oxford, and Caltech, while others have secured funding for medical school. These awards, including the Knight-Hennessy, Barry, Truman, and Hertz Scholarships, reflect the extraordinary academic talent, leadership, and service commitment cultivated at West Point. These were made possible through a dedicated program that provided support and encouragement to cadets pursuing elite scholarships. The Brigadier General Peter M. Dawkins 1959 Scholars Program (DSP), offers rigorous curriculum, dedicated mentorship, and broad outreach, to cultivate the academic excellence, leadership, and service mindset that empower cadets to compete and succeed on the national stage—and to lead with vision and integrity in the Army and beyond.
Class of 2025 Cadets Selected for Knight Hennessy Scholarship
Stanford University recently announced that Class of 2025 Cadets Olivia Raykhman, Erick Rodriguez, and Zoe Winston have been selected as Knight-Hennessy Scholars, allowing for continued graduate study at Stanford University following graduation and commissioning on May 24.
About the Scholars
CDT Olivia Raykhman ’25 is a Russian language major with minors in Terrorism Studies and Cybersecurity from Brooklyn, New York. Olivia was inspired to serve by her family’s escape from antisemitic persecution in the former Soviet Union. At West Point, she led research on election security, the impact of emerging technology on the international order, and how disinformation threatens democracy. Her internships span the OSD War Plans Division, the 780th Military Intelligence Brigade, the Principal Cyber Advisor to the Secretary of the Army, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. Olivia will commission as an Information Operations Officer in the U.S. Air Force and pursue an MA in Journalism at Stanford University as a Knight-Hennessy Scholar.
CDT Erick Rodriguez ’25, is a Nuclear Engineering major with research in nuclear nonproliferation from Senath, Missouri. The first to attend college in his immigrant family, he serves in gratitude of the American Dream. He has conducted prize-winning research on China’s underground nuclear testing program, and his paper on China’s nuclear fuel cycle was presented at international conferences. Erick has interned with MIT’s Laboratory for Nuclear Security and Policy, U.S. Army Special Operations Command, the Air Force Institute of Technology, and works on Stanford’s CISAC imagery intelligence research group. Upon graduation, he will be commissioned as a Military Intelligence officer and study as a Knight-Hennessy scholar for an MS in Energy Science and Engineering at Stanford University.
CDT Zoe Winston ’25, is a Mathematical Sciences major from McLean, Virginia. Passionate about biostatistics, her research focuses on the relationship between nutrition and maternal health. She interned at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Zoe leads the Math Forum and Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society. For her work, she has been awarded the Stamps Scholarship, Astronaut Scholarship, and NSF Graduate Research Fellowship. Upon graduation, she will be commissioned as an Officer in the Adjutant General Corps and study for an MS in Biomedical Data Science at Stanford University as a Knight-Hennessey Scholar.
About the Knight Hennessy Scholarship
The Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program, the largest fully endowed scholarship program in the world, is designed to build a multidisciplinary community of Stanford graduate students dedicated to finding creative solutions to the world’s greatest challenges. The program annually identifies a group of up to 100 high-achieving students from around the world with demonstrated leadership and civic commitment. Learn more.
Class of 2025 Cadet Named Barry Scholar
The Canterbury Institute recently announced that CDT Katherine LaReau ’25 has earned a Barry Scholarship to study at Oxford University.
About the Scholar
Originally from Carmel, Indiana, LaReau is a Chemical Engineering major at the U.S. Military Academy and focuses her research on advanced energy storage using graphene-based electrodes. She is the President of the Class of 2025 and a battalion commander. LaReau has led initiatives such as the Black and Gold Leadership Forum and is a member of the West Point Glee Club. She will serve as an adjutant general officer in the Army and pursue a master’s degree in Energy Systems at Oxford University.
About the Barry Scholarship
The Barry Scholarship is an academic prize awarded in recognition of a student’s dedication to academic vocation and the pursuit of truth. It provides full funding for a minimum of two years of graduate study at the University of Oxford. The Barry Scholarship is awarded by academics themselves through a dedicated network of nominators at leading academic institutions in Britain and the United States of America and, as a prize, cannot be applied for. Generously supported by the John and Daria Barry Foundation, the Barry Scholarship is an initiative of the Canterbury Institute, an Oxford-based charity that seeks rediscovery of the academic vocation. Learn more.
Class of 2026 Cadet Selected for Truman Scholarship
CDT Brandon Tran ’26 was selected to receive the prestigious Harry S. Truman Scholarship for future leaders focused on studying for a career in public service.
About the Scholar
CDT Brandon Tran is one of only 54 outstanding students across the nation selected for the Truman Scholarship. Tran is an International Affairs and Chinese double major at the United States Military Academy. He has interned with the Center for Naval Analyses, the Defense Intelligence Agency, and the Army War College, and has been published in The Diplomat, Air University’s Journal of Indo-Pacific Affairs, the Jamestown Foundation’s China Brief, and more. Upon graduation in 2026, Tran hopes to be commissioned as a military intelligence officer.
About the Truman Scholarship
The Harry S. Truman Scholarship provides a $30,000 grant to support undergraduate academic endeavors and two years of graduate study leading to a master’s degree for candidates committed to public service in the United States. Truman Scholars are recognized for their exceptional leadership, dedication to careers in government or the nonprofit sector, and strong academic achievement. Learn more.
Class of 2025 Cadet Named Hertz Fellow
The Hertz Foundation recently announced that CDT Edward Chen ’25 has earned a Hertz Fellowship. CDT Chen is one of 19 fellows selected this year and is the first USMA recipient since 2011.
About the Scholar
CDT Chen is a chemical engineering major with an engineering management minor from Madison, Wisconsin. His research focuses on optimizing energy storage devices and installation energy resilience for the Army. Chen’s proudest research experience consists of starting a research team at West Point to investigate membranes for flow battery systems. He has also interned at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory to study Iron/Iron redox flow batteries and the Pentagon to review Department of Defense technology for energy resilience. As a cadet, he is the 1st Regiment Command Sergeant Major and competes on the Army Water Polo Team. Chen will be commissioned as an Engineer Officer and plans to pursue a Master of Science and Doctorate in Chemical Engineering at Caltech. He will continue his research in electrochemical systems with a focus on modeling to drive improvement in energy storage technologies.
About the Hertz Fellowship
Since 1963, the Hertz Foundation has awarded more than 1,300 doctoral fellowships with the goal of supporting the early-stage research endeavors of the nation’s most promising innovators in science and technology. Hertz Fellows receive funding for up to five years of graduate study, culminating in a PhD, to pursue research that best advances our nation’s security and leads to life-changing innovations. Hertz Fellows are selected from a broad applicant pool based on a written application, as well as two rigorous technical interviews. Learn more.
About the Technical Scholars Program
The Technical Scholars Program mentors and guides cadets in their pursuit of STEM-only undergraduate and postgraduate scholarships as they seek national and international honors for their performance. With over 240 scholarships and fellowships awarded, the Technical Scholars Program continues to fill the Army ranks with innovative leaders prepared for the challenges they will face throughout their careers. Learn more.
Class of 2025 Cadets Selected as National Science Foundation Fellows
Class of 2025 CDTs Benjamin Nguyen, Zoe Winston, and Michael Zhang have been awarded the 2025 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship to pursue graduate research at leading institutions across the U.S. The fellowship is a highly competitive scholarship, and these cadets will join a talented cohort of 1,000 scholars across the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines. Their selection reflects West Point’s continued commitment to academic excellence and its investment in developing future leaders in scientific innovation and research.
About the Fellows
CDT Benjamin Nguyen is an electrical engineering major from Fountain Valley, California, who will commission as an Army cyber officer this May. His research aims to increase electricity accessibility in developing countries through distributed microgrid networks. Outside of academics, Nguyen serves as the H-4 Company commander, is a two-time soccer brigade champion, and enjoys playing guitar. This fall, he will pursue a master’s degree in electrical engineering at Stanford, funded by the NSF GRFP.
Click here to read about CDT Zoe Winston who was also selected to be a Knight-Hennessey Scholar.
CDT Michael Zhang is an operations research major from McLean, Virginia. He will commission as an Army field artillery officer this May. His research focuses on developing models to improve Army fleet readiness. Zhang has interned with the Artificial Intelligence Integration Center, where he explored time series regression to model fleet performance. He has continued to work with the agency throughout his thesis research, which investigates methods of integrating advanced predictive models into current maintenance practices via simulation. He has also served as a captain of the Army Men’s Tennis team and as company commander. This fall, he will use the NSF GRFP to pursue a master’s degree in data science at Harvard University.
About the National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship
The National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship is awarded each year to top students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics to pursue graduate study at U.S. colleges and universities. The fellowship provides up to three years of funding, with the intent of supporting a doctoral degree. Fellows are selected by a panel of NSF reviewers who evaluate rigorous technical research proposals and personal statements. Fellows must demonstrate the potential to provide significant intellectual merit in their field of study, and to broadly impact society by contributing to the strength of the scientific workforce in the U.S. Learn more.
Class of 2025 Future Army Doctors
Twenty-nine cadets from the USMA’s Class of 2025 will attend medical schools nationwide through West Point’s Pre-Medical School Scholarship Program. Endorsed by USMA’s Medical Program Advisory Committee, these cadets were selected for their exceptional dedication to research, clinical experience, and volunteer service. Upon graduation from medical school, they will contribute to the readiness of our Nation’s Armed Forces as U.S. Army medical officers.
Below are the cadets from the West Point Class of 2025 who have been chosen to attend various universities:
Brianna Brasko, Stanford University
Abigail Bugg, Uniformed Services University
Joseph Buselmeier, Boston University
Amber Chen, Uniformed Services University
McKenzie Daffin, University of Miami
Reed Dolph, Northeast Ohio Medical University
Olivia Farris, Uniformed Services University
Christian Fournier, McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston
Jonathan Hooper, University of Florida
Gwendolyn Houser, Rocky Vista University-Montana
Juliana Hudry, Uniformed Services University
Alexis Jankovich, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University
Amrita Kaur, Rocky Vista University-Utah
Kayla Kiniry, McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston
Amelia Kitlinski, Uniformed Services University
Grant Lee, University of Pennsylvania
Shine Lim, University of California, Los Angeles
Kylie Miller, Uniformed Services University
Khiem Pham, Touro University Nevada
Michael Rossen, University of Florida
Ava Spinar, Harvard University
Xavier Thweatt, Uniformed Services University
Aidan Tran, UT Southwestern Medical School
Nathaniel Villani, Uniformed Services University
Brian Whitfield, Uniformed Services University
Matthew Wu, Uniformed Services University
Grace Young, Uniformed Services University
Ian Yu, Uniformed Services University
Kye Yu, Uniformed Services University
About the West Point Pre-Medical School Scholarship Program
The Pre-Medical Scholarship Program prepares cadets for medical school and service as military physicians. Up to three percent of each graduating class may enter medical school directly from the United States Military Academy at West Point. Learn more.
