Inside West Point: A conversation with Mathieu Sanders

West Point Cadet Mathieu Sanders stopped by the Index-Tribune over Thanksgiving break to talk about his first 18 months at the Army's renowned military academy in West Point, New York.

Sanders, 19, the son of Morgan Sanders and former Sonoma City Councilmember Joanne Sanders, talked about making the leap from life in Sonoma to a world of strip-downs and 'air assault school.'

How did you end up attending West Point?

I had always wanted to do military service of some form, but I knew that I wanted to get a college education and not just enlist. During my sophomore year at Justin-Siena (High School), I was talking to Navy Admiral Brian Pecha (of Sonoma), whose son, Hayden, attended West Point maybe 15 years ago. I got excited about the idea of looking at the military service academies. I visited West Point and the Naval Academy and I just knew that's where I needed to be.

What does the application entail?

Probably the biggest hurdle is getting a nomination from either your congressman or senator. Then, I had to go to a Deptartment of Defense hospital in Davis and get medically qualified. Then there was a fitness test. It's a long application, and in terms of academics, they definitely want to see a heavy focus on STEM courses.

What were the first weeks like?

Hard [laughs]. I graduated from Justin in early June and a month later showed up for seven weeks of basic training at West Point. I was told to bring almost nothing with me. We lined up, they shaved our heads and we were issued a big green flight sack and head-to-toe Army logo gear. Just in case you forgot where you were.

You arrive and they sort of figuratively strip you down?

Literally! They tell you to take off your clothes, put on the ones they issue you. And this is who you are now. It's like a complete reset. Plebes describe it as like the longest day of your life that you won't remember. You're being screamed at, you learn to march and drill.

Was there a moment when you realized you'd truly entered a different world?

At one point, I was standing there with an ID around my neck with my height, weight and how many pull ups I did. And this guy walks up, looks at it and basically says, 'That's unacceptable. How do you think you could be in the Army?' And at that moment I was like, damn, this is legit. This is not going to be like summer camp. This is real.

Were you able to call home?

They take your phone so there's no communication aside from letters. You're not allowed to look up from your plate when you're eating. You're not allowed to talk, ever, unless you are in your room. You're not allowed to be walking around by yourself, like you always have to have someone with you. And you always have to walk in formation.

How many other 'plebes' are there?

In my squad there's nine people, and 40 in my platoon. Around 1,200 plebes started with me, about 20 percent are female. A typical graduating class is around 900.

And your free time is dedicated to the water polo team?

The first day I got to practice with the team was by far the best day in those first seven weeks at West Point because I got to do something I love and something that I know how to do. And now I've gotten to fly all over the U.S. for matches.

If I don't have a water polo match, we have military training. If it's a football weekend, everyone goes to the game. There isn't much to do in the town so there's a lot on campus. There's a bowling alley, a movie theater, a theater, basketball courts and racquetball courts.

What did you do last summer?

Last summer I went to air assault school. For two weeks, we rappeled from helicopters, things of that nature. Then I went back for six weeks of field training and I got to spend some time at home in Sonoma. It is funny traveling in uniform because it looks almost Civil War era. Some people mistake me for being a part of TSA (airline security) or in a marching band. On the East Coast, people know West Point. Out here, not so much.

How is your second year?

I finally have a good handle on how things work now. It's not so foreign and you get a sense of what it's going to take to be successful. Looking back, we had to do a lot of things that seemed strange and in your head you would question why. But it turns out that everything you do has a reason. It's really to see who has the discipline, who is going to be able to lead and be successful here. Looking back, I see the logic.

What are your plans for next summer?

I'm training to go to a combat dive special operations school in Key West, Florida. It could open doors for me if I wanted to go special forces someday.

What is your obligation after you graduate?

I have been drawing a stipend from the Army ever since I reported on day one. After graduation, I will be commissioned as a lieutenant and I have a five-year obligation to take up a post, but it's a paid position. Your flexibility and choice is dictated largely by your class rank and success in leadership.

What stands out for you so far about your experience?

During the cadet field training, we would be running these simulation exercises infiltrating enemy bases and, I would just think to myself, my God, what would I be doing right now if I wasn't here at West Point? You form such strong bonds. We were flying around in a Chinook helicopter and we're just exhausted and hot, but you look over at your buddy also hanging out the open door and you just laugh, thinking, this is crazy.

What do you do to relax when it's been a grueling day?

One of my mottos is: You can't drink from an empty cup. So if it's 10 o-clock at night and I've just been going hard since 5:30 in the morning, like I'm calling it, you know, I need to just relax and read, talk to my roommates, look at my phone.

Are you looking back, are you happy you chose West Point?

I couldn't imagine it any other way, especially at this point.

What advice do you have for current high school students?

In high school, while I didn't have perfect grades, I wasn't a partier and I wasn't someone who just sat around. I wanted to set up my future to be successful. At West Point, the structured environment is going to help you thrive and to be successful once you're there.

If this sounds good, don't worry too much about your scores and grades because they really consider your character as a whole. It's a chance to get a great education completely for free and then to be set with a great job after graduation.

I'm already seeing the opportunities and the doors that are being opened for me. It's not always going to be easy but it's not meant to be easy.

Email Lorna at lorna.sheridan@sonomanews.com.