YORK COUNTY — Summit Christian Academy senior Abby Mynes is getting ready to leave Yorktown and begin her career with the U.S. Army. Her first stop? The United States Military Academy at West Point.
Mynes knew she wasn’t looking for the normal college experience.
“Both of my parents are retired Air Force, but they never really did any kind of pressuring to me. They were really good about not talking too much about a military career, not forcing that upon me, which I really appreciate. I’m a very type A person, so the military is for me. I love a good challenge and I like structure,” Mynes said.
She was ultimately accepted into West Point, the Merchant Marine Academy, and the U.S. Air Force Academy.
“I applied to them all because I really wanted my options open. I thought I wanted to be a pilot for the longest time, but I’m not so sure about that now. I’m looking at a career possibly in special operations as a woman and I think it’s what God is calling me to do,” Mynes said.
However, after visiting West Point, she knew it was where she was supposed to be.
“We visited both Air Force and West Point and it was coming to the point where I had received both of these appointments and I was getting pestered by both sides of ‘Abigale when are you going to accept your West Point appointment?’ and ‘Abigale when are you going to accept your Air Force appointment?’ I went to Air Force Academy for a weekend, looked at it and loved it, but I knew that where I was not supposed to be and my parents truly just wanted me to be happy and told me that any kind of military service was honorable,” Mynes said.
Mynes will begin her journey at West Point later this month when she begins Cadet Basic Training.
“I think I’m as ready as I’ll ever be. I don’t know if anyone is ever really ready. I think it’s going to take you by storm no matter how prepared you are. I have put a lot of prep time into it. I feel prepared, but I’m definitely nervous. I’m not so much worried about the physical aspect as I am just the shock factor and realizing that I’m truly alone for the first time,” Mynes said.
Once Cadet Basic Training begins, Mynes will have no access to her phone and will be put through physical, mental, and emotional challenges that will prepare her for her military career.
“I really like the idea of service to country, especially in my generation. Pride in our country has kind of become lost, I don’t think that there’s a lot of people in my generation that truly appreciate how lucky they are to be here. We get told it all the time, but that appreciativeness is really dwindling and that’s something that I really want to fight for,” Mynes said.
Upon graduation from West Point, Mynes will become an officer in the United States Army.