Cadillac High School is proud to announce that senior student Colten Longstreet has received an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point. The life-changing news was delivered personally to Colten via a phone call from U.S. Senator Elissa Slotkin, who told him, "I just wanted to be the first to tell you, you got into West Point". Colten also received a congratulatory call and recommendation from Congressman John Moolenaar.
For Colten, this appointment is the culmination of a goal he has held since the age of six. While his early interest was sparked by the elite work of Navy SEALs and Marine Raiders, his focus shifted toward leadership during his freshman year of high school. He specifically chose West Point for its strong emphasis on the political and historical spheres, aligning with his plans to major in international relations.
The road to West Point was highly competitive, requiring excellence in academics, leadership, and physical fitness. Colten’s impressive credentials include:
Academic Excellence: Maintaining a high GPA of 3.97 while completing a rigorous schedule of college and AP courses. In addition, Colten scored a 1290 on the SAT.
Leadership and Community Service: Colten has served as a two-year captain of the wrestling team, a captain of the football team, and a representative on both the Student Council and Class Council. He is also a member of the National Honor Society and active in his youth group at Cherry Grove Church of the Nazarene and volunteers for events like Project Christmas.
Physical Fitness: Colten pushed through the grueling Cadet Fitness Assessment finishing with a six-minute mile run showing his physical fitness which is 10% of the evaluation to get into West Point.
Colten attributes much of his success to the "grit and determination" found in the people in Cadillac. "Everyone's been so supportive of this goal and this dream of mine," Colten remarked. "This whole community is built on grit, determination and hard work and that’s really reflected on me that when things get hard, you don’t give up".
Following his graduation from West Point, Colten aims to enter Military Intelligence and eventually work in counterterrorism or civil affairs.
“We are so excited for Colten to represent Cadillac Schools and the greater Cadillac community,” shared Jennifer Brown, Superintendent of Cadillac Area Public Schools. “Colten has worked incredibly hard and truly epitomizes what it means to be a Viking. He exemplifies strong leadership, perseverance, integrity, and a deep commitment to serving others. We are immensely proud of his accomplishments and confident he will continue to lead and make a positive impact in all that he pursues.”