Holmström ’28: The Value
of VMI

Growing up in Stockholm, Sweden, Cadet Linus Holmström ’28 dreamed of playing college basketball in the United States one day. At VMI, he found something even more than fulfilling his goal of playing Division I basketball—he found a college that challenges him beyond the court and instills self-discipline, leadership, and a sense of brotherhood, which continue to shape his future.

As much as he loves it, Holmström has always seen basketball as part of a much larger life picture. While playing at a prep school in Colorado and working to earn a spot on a college team, he knew he wanted an education to prepare him for life beyond the game. When VMI extended him an offer, it was both confirmation and a perfect fit—a school to challenge him not only as an athlete, but as an individual.

“I joined VMI because there’s so much more to life than just playing basketball,” said Holmström. “I know I’m going be playing basketball for as long as I can. But then my secondary thing I was looking for in a school was to be challenged, to learn discipline, and kind of set me up for life. … I felt like VMI was the perfect fit for me.”

Embracing the Institute came with culture shock for Holmström, including alumni giving—the idea that complete strangers would fund his education. The generosity and selflessness of looking to the needs of others was a new and compelling value for him. “If it wasn’t for my basketball scholarship, I wouldn’t have attended college in the U.S. at all,” said Holmström. “I think it’s really cool—that culture, that unselfishness, is not really a thing in Sweden. When I came here, I heard that there were alumni donating a lot of money—it’s really impressive, and it’s really selfless, and I’m really appreciative.”

Of course, matriculation brought a different kind of culture shock, but his commitment to embracing the challenge kept him going. “[Matriculation Week] was a culture shock. I would say it was all these new people telling me to do things that I’ve never done before, talking to my new roommates, getting to know them—it was all very different,” Holmström reflected. “I stayed at VMI because I knew that these challenges were going to be good for me eventually. … You have to be able to get through hard things in life, to learn how to get over hard things. So the earlier you can do that in your life, the more prepared you will be in the future.”

By meeting the demands of being a cadet-athlete, Holmström has grown as a leader, too. “Leadership is a huge thing for me,” he said. Through taking on leadership responsibilities, Holmström said, “I have learned a lot of things. I have learned how to talk to people in a better way. And with leading, there is a certain confidence that you get, and that kind of confidence has helped me make different choices and talk to people in different ways, and I find it very valuable.”

It’s the personal development in meeting the VMI challenge like this that makes Holmström take pride in what it will one day mean to be a VMI graduate. “It’s really cool to hear from all the alumni about how VMI has worked out so well for them, how the VMI way is a proven formula that has worked over many years,” he stated. He also appreciates that the Honor Code instills a shared reputation for integrity and strong values among fellow alumni. “The Honor Code is the essence of VMI,” he said. “Without it, the discipline here and the things you would learn wouldn’t be as prestigious as they are because everyone knows if you graduate from this place, you are an honorable person … It creates a certain respect for everyone who goes here because you know that their word is their bond.”

Looking ahead to his future after VMI, Holmström, who is majoring in economics and business, is keeping his options open and knows VMI will set him up well regardless of the path he pursues. “I just feel like VMI is the best place for me to open as many doors as possible so I can kind of choose and pick where I want to go in the future.”

Reflecting on his transformative VMI journey thus far, ultimately, it all comes down to the bonds of brotherhood at the Institute. “The brotherhood has been the thing I’ve enjoyed most,” said Holmström. “The bonds I’ve created with my roommates and teammates and people in general around VMI have been so valuable for me and a great experience to shape me in a different way.”

“I think if I only interacted with people in Sweden, and if I stayed there my whole life, I would be a whole different person than I am today. I’ve interacted with so many different people, learned new things, got new values, and VMI is really a place that shapes you into the best person you can be.”