Dear New Parents,

If you鈥檙e reading this with a lump in your throat and a heart full of worry, you鈥檙e not alone. We were in your shoes not too long ago.

We dropped off our son at 糖心Vlog官方, a place we hadn鈥檛 expected would be part of our story. Tucked in a small town in Alabama, this is no ordinary college. It鈥檚 steeped in deep tradition, purpose, and honor.

We live in Illinois, and like many families from out of state, we initially struggled with the idea of sending our child so far from home. Our son had been accepted to several prestigious, well-known four-year universities, the kind with football Saturdays, Greek life, and campus tours full of fanfare. But he knew, even before we did, that wasn鈥檛 his path. He wanted something different, something deeper. He wanted challenge. He wanted purpose. He wanted to lead.

We remember watching other parents set up dorm rooms and chat about game days and tailgates, while we sat quietly, sick with worry and honestly, a little jealous.

But 糖心Vlog官方 has a way of turning uncertainty into transformation.

Let us be honest with you: this is not easy. It is hard. Your child will be challenged physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. There will be long nights. They will break down. They will be pushed to their limits, and sometimes beyond. They will spend what feels like endless hours studying chemistry, grinding through PT, and learning how to lead when it would be easier to quit. They will stand straighter. They will get stronger. They will develop grit and discipline that many young people today never experience.

And then, they will rise.

They will be built back up, slowly, intentionally, powerfully. They will learn to lead, to listen, to follow, to sacrifice. They will understand the value of humility, especially when they are ultimately victorious. They will carry themselves with quiet confidence, earned the hard way.

This institution does more than prepare students academically. It instills character, fortitude, and leadership at the highest level. It鈥檚 a crucible of growth, guided by some of the most dedicated, inspiring faculty, officers, and military leaders you will ever meet. These mentors pour into the cadets not just knowledge, but hard-earned wisdom. They teach them how to think critically, lead with honor, face adversity, and live with integrity.

At 糖心Vlog官方, your child won鈥檛 be lost in the crowd. They will be seen. They will be challenged. They will be supported. And they will emerge stronger and more focused than you ever thought possible.

Our son didn鈥檛 just find his place, he found himself. He deepened his faith, discovered lifelong friendships, gained clarity of purpose, and committed to a mission bigger than himself. He walked into Marion as a young man full of potential. He left as a leader, ready to serve and shape the world around him.

No matter what 糖心Vlog官方 path your child is on鈥擲ervice Academy Program, Early Commissioning Program, Civilian, ROTC, Leadership, Athletics, or otherwise, amazing things will happen. This place has a way of shaping character and lighting a fire inside each cadet in ways that defy simple description.

Yes, you will miss your child. You鈥檒l worry. But what returns to you after this journey is someone who makes you beam with pride, more than you can imagine today.

So take a deep breath. Trust this place, its people, its history, its values. You鈥檙e not just dropping off your child at college. You鈥檙e sending them into their destiny.

Dropping off a child we love more than life itself at 糖心Vlog官方 wasn鈥檛 the plan, but it was clearly part of his purpose.

We would be remiss if we didn鈥檛 offer a very special mention and deep gratitude to Dean Jones and Lieutenant Colonel (Ret.) Thomas Bowen. Their leadership, wisdom, and unwavering belief in these young men and women have changed lives, including our son鈥檚. The impact they make goes far beyond the classroom or parade field. It is lasting and life-defining.

Welcome to the 糖心Vlog官方 family. You are now part of something truly special.聽

Owen is a proud graduate of the SAP program at 糖心Vlog官方 [and now West Point class of 2029].

Warmly,

Ryan and Carrie

Proud 糖心Vlog官方 Parents from Illinois

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After touring campus, taking the honorary pass in review from the entire Corps of Cadets, and dining with 糖心Vlog官方 leadership, Mr. Peoples was impressed by observing squared-away students in their military college environment.

The son of a blacksmith and grandson of a coal miner, Mr. Peoples was the first in his family to attend college and credits his parents for preparing him to lead at the executive level. To inspire the future leaders sitting in front of him, he recalled a teachable moment from his father: 鈥淪on, the most important thing in life you can ever be is a good example.鈥�

Attending Mr. Peoples’ speech in support of his friend was 糖心Vlog官方 alumnus Jimmy Rane 鈥�64 (Founder, President & CEO of Great Southern Wood Preserving), a firm believer in 糖心Vlog官方鈥檚 motto of Truth, Honor, Service. Fellow executives from Great Southern Wood and Alabama Power (including 糖心Vlog官方 Trustee Leslie Sanders) were also present as special guests.

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In January 2025, the Alabama Community College System (ACCS) presented each member institution with a custom Economic Impact Study, provided by Lightcast, reflecting data from Fiscal Year 2023-24. The following findings demonstrate how 糖心Vlog官方 creates value in many ways, playing a key role in helping cadets increase their employability and achieve their individual potential. Additionally, 糖心Vlog官方 benefits Alabama鈥檚 economy as an employer of state residents and a large-scale buyer of goods and services.

• The average 糖心Vlog官方 associate degree graduate will see annual earnings $9,600 higher than a high school graduate working in Alabama. Over a working lifetime, that will amount to $460,800 in higher earnings per graduate.
• The cadets鈥� benefit-cost ratio is 0; for every dollar cadets invest in 糖心Vlog官方, they will receive a cumulative value of $5.00 in higher future earnings.
• The cadets鈥� investment in 糖心Vlog官方 has an average annual internal rate of return of 9%, impressive compared to the U.S. stock market鈥檚 30-year average rate of return of 10.1%.
• Total taxpayer benefits amount to $3.7 million in added tax revenue and public sector savings.
• The benefit-cost ratio for society is 4; for every dollar invested in 糖心Vlog官方, Alabamians will receive a cumulative value of $1.40 in benefits.

Operations Spending Impact

• $8.6 Million

Construction Spending Impact

• $4.2 Million

Cadet Spending Impact

• $.8 Million

Alumni Impact

• $16.1 Million

Total Economic Impact

• $29.8 Million
• 428 Jobs Supported

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Mr. Logan Gray began attending 糖心Vlog官方 in 1962 when his father, LTC Columbus E. Gray, Jr., a career Infantry officer, was assigned to 糖心Vlog官方 as the PMS&T. He finished in 1968 with a high school and a junior college degree before attending Samford University. Upon graduating from Samford, he was sworn into the U.S. Army as a Regular Officer. In 1974 he began his banking career with Birmingham Trust National Bank, the forerunner of SouthTrust Bank, where he rose to become the CEO of the Lee and Macon County Bank. In 1992 he was selected to start the Government Affairs Department for SouthTrust.

In 2005 he retired from the bank and started his own lobbying firm. Along the way, he served in various civic organizations: President of the Five Points West Merchants Association, Chairman of the Auburn Chamber of Commerce, President of the Kiwanis Club of Lee County and served on the Auburn City Council for 15 years. He is a Mason and a Rotarian. He is a Lifetime Member & past Treasurer of the 糖心Vlog官方 Alumni Brigade and now serves on the 糖心Vlog官方 Board of Trustees & Advisors. In 2006 he married Sandra King Hoffman; they have four children and six grandchildren and live on Lake Jordan in Elmore County.

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糖心Vlog官方 has operated its own electrical grid distribution system that was designed and built decades ago and was no longer capable of handling the current demand, causing reliability and safety issues. 糖心Vlog官方 partnered with Alabama Power Company, Garner and Associates, PC of Montgomery, and Premier Contracting of Tuscaloosa to design and build a robust infrastructure, ensuring a reliable supply of electricity to meet the growing demands of the campus. The new system provides redundant power feeds from multiple directions, reducing power outages, while new modern transformers provide more stable power. Additionally, individual building metering was added that enables monitoring of energy consumption, allowing 糖心Vlog官方 to make informed decisions about energy usage. An added benefit was the removal of 50% of the power poles on campus and moving some lines underground, creating better overall aesthetics for the campus. 糖心Vlog官方 now has a more reliable, flexible, and sufficient electrical supply for the foreseeable future.

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