Richardson ’28: Peay Merit Scholar Maximizes Opportunity

“No ordinary college. No ordinary life.”

Short. Snappy. Inspiring. It’s a tagline that has drawn in many prospective cadets over the years. And while some choose to sign the Matriculation Book without having done any research on what exactly “no ordinary life” means, others do their due diligence. They attend the open house in barracks. They visit other colleges to weigh their options. They sign up for the Summer Transition Program. And, when all is said and done, they rise to the challenge of the Rat Line.

Cadet Zach Richardson ’28, however, took the latter route one step further. He conducted research on the Institute for almost a year before packing his bags and leaving his small hometown in North Carolina and facing Matriculation Day with an enthusiastic grin.

“I couldn’t stop smiling because I was so excited for it,” he recalled with a laugh. “There’s a great picture of me at the back of the company … and I’m smiling because I was so excited for VMI and this lifestyle because I had not come from anything military and really wanted a challenge, and I was really looking for the camaraderie of the Rat Line. … I had seen videos, but it’s just so different in person.”

Naturally, no one’s first year at VMI is made up of exclusively happy moments, and Richardson’s experience was no different. “The wear and tear of winter really works at you mentally, and I never thought of quitting, but a couple times, yeah, transferring, maybe … I was going to finish out the first year and get my credits.”

Ultimately, it was his faith and brother rats that helped him get through those tough times. “Just make it to Sunday,” he would tell himself. “You can always make it to Sunday.”

Today, Richardson is a proud member of the Class of 2028, majoring in history and hoping to minor in business and leadership studies. He’s currently a member of both the swim team and the Superintendent’s Advisory Board, as well as participating in a variety of clubs. The heart of his cadetship, though, is his academics. “It is a top priority for me, and I’ve always enjoyed school, and so coming here and having some really great professors, taking some really fun classes—even my rat year, I got to take some Roman history and microeconomics, which I really fell in love with, and public speaking was interesting,” he stated.

Fueled by a quiet intellectual spark, he goes beyond his duties as a corporal and works as a peer tutor for the Miller Academic Center, continuing to make the most of VMI’s extensive academic resources.

When it came time to think about positions of leadership for his 3rd Class year, it felt only natural for him to apply for a corporal position under the S2 staff. “It was really kind of a cool full circle thing to come in as a rat and to see all these rankers and non-rankers and kind of start to understand the regimental system. … It’s cool to be a mentor to the rats now with their academics.”

Of course, Richardson also acknowledges the donors who helped with his out-of-state tuition. Prior to matriculation, he earned a U.S. Army scholarship, and while serving his country certainly interests him as a future option, he wasn’t sure he was willing to commit to commissioning so early on. So, when he was offered a full ride through the Peay Merit Scholarship, he didn’t hesitate to accept. “That just opened up so many more possibilities. … It really makes me appreciate this place even more,” he explained.

Even after 2 years at VMI, Richardson continues to admire the generosity of the alumni and donors who have made his cadetship possible. While reminiscing about an event he attended as a 4th Class cadet where he had the chance to meet donors, he said the “school spirit really hit me and made me really proud to be here. I’m so grateful that so many alumni … care about this place so much that they want to give back in the ways that they do.”

As Richardson considers the future, he’s excited by the opportunities that lie ahead of him. He hopes to study abroad at some point, as well as conduct a SURI project over the summer. He also plans to continue working within the S2 staff and competing on the swim team.