“Enjoy The Ride”: A Long And Winding Path To West Point

Teryon Lowery grew up in Newark, New Jersey, with his mother and two younger brothers. He spent his high school years at the Delbarton School in Morristown, New Jersey, and was recruited for the Dickinson College track team as a high jumper. A stress fracture ended his track career, and he eventually selected history as a major. By his junior year, his mother was battling cancer, and Teryon left Dickinson, joining the Army to be better able to financially support his younger brothers in the event his mother became unable to. He selected 68C (Practical Nursing Specialist) as his MOS, being assigned to the hospital at Ft. Bliss, enjoying the patient care aspect of his job. When the COVID-19 pandemic began, he was assigned to the Ft. Bliss COVID response team and was responsible for screening patients. Realizing that he wanted to continue his education, he had applied for admittance to West Point. His first commander did not sign off on Teryon’s application, but his next commander did, and he was admitted to the Military Academy in the summer of 2020. Teryon is currently a Yearling (sophomore), and is a Trust Mentor for his company (H3). He is an International History major with a Diversity & Inclusion studies minor. He remains involved with several clubs and activities primarily focused on mentoring others, such as the Mounger Writing Center, the Excel Scholars Program, and the Building Giants mentorship program through the Diversity Forum. His advice to those wishing to attend West Point is “never stop asking” and “know your worth.” Reflecting on the Army and West Point, he considers both to be like family, and he is enjoying the ride.