Tempe teen is West Point bound

                Sayler Butters

By Joyce Coronel

- Advertisement -

As members of the class of 2018 toss their caps in the air and celebrate the end of their high school years, it’s no secret that many of them are anticipating the newfound freedom that college life promises. Parties, socializing, settling into dorm life and learning how to navigate the complexities of life away from Mom and Dad all beckon.

For a select bunch of high school seniors, however, college life will bring discipline, demands and difficulty to an unprecedented degree. That’s because they’ll be attending one of the nation’s military academies where a stern blend of the aforementioned is doled out liberally from the moment they step on campus.

Sayler Butters, a Tempe resident and recent graduate of Notre Dame Preparatory High School, applied for and won an appointment to The United States Military Academy—West Point.

Syler reports on July 3 for “Beast Camp,” the significance of which remains a bit murky. This much is for sure: It won’t be a frat party. “They don’t really tell you, but from the name you can kind of tell.”

With a name like Sayler, she said she’s taken a good deal of ribbing about not choosing Annapolis, the U.S. Naval Academy. Inspired by her cousin and his wife, both graduates of West Point, Sayler said a future in the military was always in the back of her mind like a distant dream.

“When I was younger, whenever I saw women in the military or heard of family members or friends’ parents who have been in the military, I always thought, “Wow—that’s really courageous. That’s something that’s so honorable and they’re serving our country.’”

After her cousin Derek graduated from West Point, Sayler said she talked it over with him and his wife. “I connected so much with what she was saying, what she stood for and I just decided this was something I wanted to do. And that’s how it started.”

The thing that really appealed to her, Sayler said, was the sense of community the military academy offered. “It’s about being part of a team that is trying to do something to help others. That’s literally everyone’s mindset there—that we’re in this together and that we’re going to do this together, get through this together and then we’re going to help people together. I think that was the biggest thing for me.”

She’s played volleyball since she was 9 years old and committed to the West Point team before even visiting the campus in New York. Only 10 percent of those who apply to the prestigious school are accepted. Ninety percent of them played on a varsity team in high school.

Sayler visited West Point in the fall and had the opportunity to take a tour and speak with cadets. “It was beautiful—absolutely gorgeous. I loved it, thank God.”

Like all those who apply to one of the military academies, Sayler had to enlist the help of her congressional representative. She met with staff from Rep. Kristen Synema, D-AZ, 9th District and said being supported by Sinema is an “absolute honor” that she hopes to live up to.

“I want to be able to come back and say, ‘This is what I did with that—this is where you took me—and just serve them back. It’s going to be a long path.”

 

Joyce Coronel
Joyce Coronel
Joyce Coronel has been interviewing and writing stories since she was 12, and she’s got the scrapbooks to prove it. The mother of five grown sons and native of Arizona is passionate about local news and has been involved in media since 2002, coming aboard at Wrangler News in 2015. Joyce believes strongly that newspapers are a lifeline to an informed public and a means by which neighbors can build a sense of community—vitally important in today’s complex world.

Comments

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Advertisment

Latest e-Edition

Advertisment
Advertisment

Follow Us

2,648FansLike
953FollowersFollow

Weekly Email Newsletter

Latest

Join Our Family...

Wrangler Newsletter

One email

Once a week

Unsubscribe anytime

Welcome to The Wrangler Community!