Senior Will Henry has been accepted to The U.S. Military Academy at West Point, an extraordinary honor that is bestowed upon only 1,100 of its nearly 13,000 annual applicants.

“I almost passed out,” Will said. “I was ecstatic. It’s been my dream for eight years and for it to finally happen is so amazing.”

Nominated by both President Trump and Rep. Andy Barr, Will was walking to a class with fellow senior Brady Turner at EKU Tuesday when he received the call.

“When I saw Washington, D.C., come up on my phone, I almost didn’t answer,” Will said. “Normally I get a lot of telemarketing calls. She said, ‘Is this William?’ ‘Yes ma’am.’ She said she was calling from Congressman Barr’s office, then said, ‘Let me transfer you to Andy.’ I put my hand over the phone and said, “Brady, it’s Andy Barr.’ I grabbed Brady and kept squeezing his arm. I bet everybody on campus thought I was crazy.”

With his father a career Army man, Will’s dream to attend West Point began in 4^th grade. “I always knew I wanted to go in the Army, and West Point is the best avenue for the highest level of achievement in the Army,” he said. “It’s been my goal for a long time.”

Henry has excelled in athletics, particularly football, all his life, and though he may attempt to walk onto the West Point football team, it isn’t his priority. “I’m not really worried about that,” he said. “I just wanted to get in.”

Will’s news of acceptance came much earlier than expected. “This feels so amazing because they told me I wouldn’t hear anything until March and I heard on Jan. 17, so that kind of blew me away,” he said.

According to the West Point website, the Admissions Committee “searches for students who stand out from the crowd in their academic accolades, athletic successes, and leadership motivation.” Graduates become commissioned Army officers and serve for a minimum of five years.

Will went through an extensive application process that included interviews in Barr’s office with high-ranking West Point graduates.

“The officers who interviewed me loved the fact that I kept playing football through all my injuries,” Will said. “They told me it says a lot about my character.”

Indeed. Will has broken both femurs, his right tibia and fibula. His most recent broken femur happened at the Montgomery County football game his junior year. With hard work and perseverance, he is back at 100 percent physically.

“God always has a plan,” Will said. “The injuries were bad, but in the end, they helped my story and helped me reach my goals.”

Will says his ultimate career goal is lofty and he fully understands the hard work involved. “I want to fly Apaches in the Army,” he explained. “Whether I will be able to do that or not depends on my class rank while I’m there. There are only so many slots for aviation, and it’s one of the first branches to fill up.”

Will’s father, David, was a Chief Warrant Officer 3 (CW3) for 22 years. Needless to say, his parents were ecstatic with the news.

“I called my mom first because I knew she would want me to,” he said. “She started crying, of course. My Dad started screaming ‘Yeah!’ over and over.”

It’s a tremendous honor in which our school and community can share. “I have been thinking about this for eight years and am excited about every part of it,” Will said. “I have always wanted to serve. I wouldn’t feel right if I didn’t.”