On a bright and brisk Saturday morning, Legacy Day 2025 welcomed another record-breaking number of guests—330—which included 185 children and teenagers who spent the day on post as young cadets April 12. Designed for youth ages 5-18, the annual event invites alumni and their families back to post to celebrate the traditions of the Institute and share the VMI spirit with the next generation.
Legacies began the day with breakfast in Marshall Hall – Center for Leadership and Ethics, followed by forming up in the Marshall Hall courtyard as each age group split off into separate activities. The day included rock climbing and obstacles in the Corps Physical Training Facility, games on the Parade Ground, a rifle range simulation in Cocke Hall, and engineering demonstrations in Nichols Engineering Building. For the legacies aged 15-18, the schedule also included an admissions briefing in Nichols Auditorium, where prospective cadets received an overview of VMI’s application process, academic programs, and cadetship. The day concluded with a march down from Third Barracks to Crozet for lunch.
More than 40 cadets volunteered their time to provide integral support to the event and create a lasting impact on attendees. “Cadets once again were the stars of the show,” said Justin Tammelin ’09, VMI Alumni Association director of networking. “I am exceptionally proud of them for helping to create memorable and remarkable experiences for legacies and their parents and grandparents. Their ability to lead and create an environment of fun is what will most impact these kids.”
As Legacy Day drew to a close, Tammelin said the most rewarding part was the positive impression VMI and the Corps left on participants from youngest to oldest. “Legacy Day 2025 was a resounding success. This event has had 2 years of back-to-back record-breaking attendance and continues to be one of the highest-rated Alumni Association events.”
He concluded, “I know that [Legacy Day and cadet volunteers] have been successful when I overhear a 7-year-old telling their parent, ‘When I grow up, I want to go to VMI.’ It makes me profoundly proud and humbled to be a part of this VMI community and getting to witness the quality of cadets on a first-hand basis reaffirms that VMI is no ordinary place.”
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Mattie Montgomery Assistant Editor
The assistant editor assists the editor-in-chief in various tasks relating to the production of quarterly and monthly publications, as well as prepares written materials for publication. The assistant editor serves as liaison between class agents and chapter presidents and the Agencies’ publications, as well as provides backup photography for events.
