Shah ’27: Choosing Challenge

When Cadet Eshan Shah ’27 chose to attend VMI, he chose it because he wanted pressure—the kind that could shape him. Inspired by his father’s story of hard-earned success and the veterans in his family’s business network, Shah chose VMI for transformation.

That same drive now fuels his own path at the Institute: Shah is a history and English double major, a participant in the Institute Honors Program, the Class of 2027 treasurer, and a Company I squad corporal. For Shah, these roles reflect the work ethic instilled by his upbringing and his goals to become the best possible version of himself during his cadetship.

His father, who grew up as one of eight siblings in Karachi, Pakistan, built a successful career and legacy that inspired Shah to challenge himself. “I saw the way he just climbed, climbed, climbed. That was really inspirational,” said Shah. “I just saw that pressure truly builds diamonds … I wanted to put myself in an area with controlled pressure.”

In seeking out that challenge, Shah became interested in the military. Though he didn’t come from a military family, Shah saw the difference in the way servicemembers within his dad’s business carried themselves, and it left a lasting impression that he wanted for himself. “My family has no military connections. But one thing in the business world is that my dad worked with many people with military backgrounds,” recalled Shah. “The way they carried themselves, the way they acted, the way they just composed themselves—it was really something. I’m like, ‘I want that for myself.’”

Matriculating from Maryland, Shah was intrigued by the structure and discipline of the Rat Line. He wanted a “pressure cooker” experience that would push him beyond his limits. Though he applied to other schools to please his mother, by his junior year, he was set on VMI.

To Shah, an academic education can be found in most places, but VMI would teach him life and leadership skills that nowhere else could. “I wanted to learn how to talk, how to stand, how to move, how to act,” said Shah. “VMI is the only unique school in the nation where it’s not going to just teach you the academics. It’s going to teach you everything. On top of that, it shows you how to compose yourself.”

From the time he arrived on Matriculation Day, he knew he was in the right place. “Diving into the VMI system—it was everything all at once. And I loved it like that, to be honest; that was exactly what I wanted. I wanted to be uncomfortable.” Embracing the breakdown-buildup process of the Rat Line, Shah wanted a 180 experience from his friends at other colleges, saying, “I wanted to build myself in a different manner.”

Many of these lessons from VMI also translate to business, and Shah, a constantly forward-thinking individual, is already looking ahead to how they will impact his future. “With all that, I try to relate everything back to business. So when I’m just thinking about when I first got [to VMI], certain decisions which are so close to military and VMI decisions translate incredibly well to business.”

Shah’s understanding of the purpose of the VMI system and its positive impacts also came from all of his conversations with alumni. He was touched by how readily alumni were willing to speak with and mentor him as he prepared for matriculation, as well as by how they stayed in touch with him throughout his cadetship.

This mentorship from alumni and their generosity, especially those who helped fund his out-of-state tuition, is part of what makes VMI special. “For me, it’s an incredibly big deal,” said Shah. “Being out of state is a hefty, hefty amount; them being able to help me with the Institute Honors Program and everything through the scholarships I received, it’s been a major help,” stated Shah. He only wishes he could meet all of those who fund his scholarship. “I really wish I could meet them … I’d love to meet the people behind [the scholarships] because I know behind them is someone that believed in me and someone who believes in the Corps and believes in the school,” said Shah.

Shah’s VMI experience has also allowed him to not only develop as a leader but also to learn how to respond to leadership. “Leadership is one thing; responding to leadership is another thing,” said Shah. “I think some people don’t know how to be productive followers. I think VMI teaches you through The Rat Line that at the end when you’re part of a team, you’re there for the cohesion of the unit.”

Wearing academic stars, Shah has also thrived academically at VMI, enjoying the small class sizes and the one-on-one faculty mentorship for his Institute Honors thesis. Always looking ahead to the future, Shah began his thesis early, focusing on a research interest in Islamophobia and Islam in the United States—an interest he has maintained since high school when his father moved his family to Pakistan for 2 years. Going into the experience, Shah had many misconceptions about what people would be like and was surprised to meet amazing individuals who left a lasting impact on his life.

That experience, paired with his academic pursuits, has shaped Shah’s plans to attend law school and study national security law after VMI. And, one day, he hopes to join his family’s business. And, in all of these pursuits, he knows he will be prepared as the the individual VMI is shaping him to be.

“This place is the best of both worlds because you get the polish of college and you get the life experiences the military teaches you, and it combines both those things,” said Shah. “And again, the second you leave, you can turn into the sort of man, the person you wanted to be.”