Cadet Stories of Impact
Hometown: Arcanum, Ohio
Double Major: Physics and Applied Mathematics
Commissioning: U.S. Air Force
Involvement on Post: Honor Court president, Institute Honors scholar, and Bravo Company commander
Scholarships: Call to Duty Scholarship, ROTC Scholarship, F.D. Gottwald Scholar Scholarship
Q: What was your path to VMI?
A: “What brought me to VMI was actually my grandfather. He worked at a company run by two VMI alumni themselves, a research and development company called Resonant Sciences in Dayton, Ohio. In my freshman year of high school, they actually all brought me down to VMI to look at it. … When I came here, I fell in love with it. It was something where I really didn’t see myself going to any other school.”
Q: During your cadetship, what challenging days or lessons learned stand out?
A: “There were quite a few of those moments throughout my time, especially my rat year. I fortunately had a very good dyke to help take care of me, talk me away from all those sort of negative thoughts, and keep me focused on what I needed to do, which were my academics, continuing to be a good BR for all my other brother rats, and making sure I was upholding those core values that every VMI cadet has.”
Q: What helped you push through on hard days?
A: “Obviously, my dyke was a great source of support throughout my time here. My family all lives in Ohio, so I didn’t have the super close support a lot of other rats or cadets here do have, because a lot of them do come from Virginia. I also had a magnificent host family. They live right in Lexington. I met them my freshman year when I came down to visit. And then in the physics and math departments, my professors were fantastic pieces of support, as well. I have a lot to attribute to my success here; I had a lot of wonderful people looking out for me and taking care of me throughout my time.”
Q: What has been your experience with the Honor Code as a rat to the present?
A: “The Honor Code was one of the biggest reasons that I came to VMI. It is what sets [VMI] apart from every other college in the United States: How much we preach the Honor Code and the fact that it is single sanction. You know that when you graduate, everybody you’re graduating with took the same path, did it the right way, and did it the right way the first time.”
Q: What was it like being named Honor Court president?
A: “Those first couple of days afterward, you sort of feel the pressure and the gravity of the situation that you’re in. You’re upholding a system that has been an integral part of VMI ever since its founding and really makes VMI what it is.”
Q: What are your goals in this important role?
A: “Education is the cornerstone of what makes our process valid. We have to educate the Corps on the technical things that come with following the honor system, such as your help received statements, signing out on permit forms—all those things that help us uphold the standard. But also, one of the biggest things that we want to preach for the upcoming year is that honor is a lifestyle, and that’s something that I think is incredibly important, especially in the day and age that we’re in where it may not seem like honor is that important. You have social media and a lot of different outlets that show all of these individuals who are gaining a lot of advantage through these sort of dishonorable means. That’s something that we want to establish: That’s not how you do it. There’s a way to do it, and this is how you do it at VMI, but also in your life.”
Q: As a cadet wearing academic stars, what does your education mean to you?
A: “I currently have a cumulative 4.0 GPA in both of my majors, and that’s a testament to prioritization and time management. You learn that very quickly at VMI, or it comes back to bite you. You need to make sure that you do those things, and as you progress throughout your time at VMI, you can really learn and work with your departments and faculty who work with you if you work with them.”
Q: What is next for you after graduation?
A: “I plan on commissioning into the U.S. Air Force as a physicist, and in my first few years, I would like to get my Ph.D. or a master’s in physics and then follow that with service in the Air Force.”
Editor’s Note: This interview was conducted in spring 2026, at the end of Psczulkoski’s 2nd Class year.
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