Salutatorian: Ethan Park '22

The Salutatorian for the Class of 2022 is Ethan Park!

Growing up in Minnesota, Ethan described himself as “outgoing and sociable” - attributes that would serve him well, because when he reached middle school, Ethan’s family moved to South Korea, where he attended an international school.

“That was honestly rough for me,” said Ethan. “Most of the kids had already built friendships and relationships...I still managed to fit in, yet something was off...until I got the opportunity to attend R-MA.”

Ethan learned about the Academy through a family connection. For a young man who dreamed of becoming an astronaut, it was a perfect fit. “I fell deeper in love as I discovered the flight program, cadre program, and opportunities for further education and evelopment,” Ethan reflected.

Four years later, Ethan has experienced much of what R-MA has to offer: captaining the swim team, flying a plane solo, creating the R-MA Engineering Club, and ascending the ranks of the Corps to become a Cadet Colonel and Corps Commander. To top it off, he was named Best All-Around Cadet at Class Night.

After dedicating so much of his time to the Academy, Ethan looked back on his accomplishments and favorite moments. “One of my proudest moments has to be marching in the Apple Blossom parades as the Corps Commander,” he shared. “It was very rewarding to see cadets as their hard work and efforts paid off and people applauded through the streets of Winchester.” He also thought of the swim team’s successes this year: “My relay team qualified for the Virginia States Swimming Championships. I was swelling with pride as we made a comeback to take first in our heat.”

It wasn’t always easy - Ethan reflected that “as the Corps Commander, you sometimes have to make decisions that others may not understand...At the end of the day, however, there is a lesson and purpose to everything done on this hill, and this position taught me how to be a leader even in the civilian world later on in life.”

Ethan thanks his parents and brother, all his friends and teachers, and gave a particular shout-out to Mr. Barr, Dr. Byrd, Dr. Cousineau, Mrs. Wagner, SMSgt Edington, Dean Leasure, Cmdr Carlucci, Mr. Koch, and “all the wonderful people at R-MA.”

He will attend the University of California - Los Angeles in the fall.