Commandant's Welcome

Welcome to the Campus Life section. We invite you to browse through and familiarize yourself with two key pillars of NYMA's mission: Character (Set Apart for Citizenship) and Leadership (Set Apart for Achievement).

You will see that what we teach in the classroom as part of our JROTC curriculum accentuates and structures the daily life of each cadet. At NYMA, character and leadership learned in the classroom is re-enforced through our Character Development program and Cadet Performance system, which stresses development of the "Whole Person," setting each individual cadet apart for a lifetime of good citizenship. Military service is not the goal at NYMA; college preparation, improving life skills and producing responsible citizens are. As such, it is the military training provided by our JROTC program that helps mold each individual cadet and the Corps of Cadets as a whole.

While we take great pride in the fact that NYMA sends cadets each year to the United States service academies, it is a fact that 97% of NYMA's graduates work in the private sector and do so with great success as a result of the training in character and leadership they acquired here.

Developing good character is an important aspect of every young person's education at NYMA. We recognize that without good character, leadership cannot follow. From the classroom to the playing fields and parade fields, cadets learn the importance of having a strong character based on time-honored values. As our cadets develop character, they also begin to develop leadership skills and techniques. This development provides every cadet the opportunity to improve his or her organizational skills, set and achieve goals and objectives, and build self-esteem.

NYMA asks that cadets demonstrate good character by getting good grades, by playing fair and square, by attending chapel or character guidance classes, and by participating in extracurricular activities such as Raiders, Band, Drill, Boy Scouts, and Rifle team as well as in varsity and junior varsity sports. Through all of this, our cadets learn to develop the "Whole Person." As a result of their growth and development, they move up in rank, demonstrate the ability to handle more responsibility and become key figures in leading the Corps of Cadets. In this way, each cadet is Set Apart for Citizenship and Set Apart for Achievement.

MAJ Jeff Coverdale, USAR (Ret.)