NYMA cadets met their new commandant on Sept. 15. Anthony Desa, the president of the Board of Trustees, introduced the new officer at a 10-minute meeting in the chapel. He reported that she was the first female commandant in the school’s 125-year history.
The new commandant, Lt. Col. Samantha Ross, had been standing in a corner of the upstairs sanctuary. After she was introduced, she joined Mr. Desa on the stage, and addressed the audience.
“The best place to make a difference,” she told the cadets, “is in the lives of young people. Being in high school can be tough,” she added, “and it’s tougher for you because you’re away from home.”
In her most recent assignment, Lt. Col. Ross was a professor of military science at West Point. She joins a staff that is headed by Maj. Gen. William Beard, the school’s superintendent.
At the Monday morning meeting, Mr. Desa shared some other information with the cadets and faculty. The pools have been opened, he said, and the horses are back in the stables. The academy has reinstated the riding program after it was discontinued for a year.
In December, the school will accept 125 Korean students, who will be on campus for three months. The same students will be returning to NYMA in the summer.
At the end of the meeting, after the cadets had been dismissed, Mr. Desa reported that NYMA would be hosting a three-day festival from Oct. 17 to Oct. 19. The event, which coincides with alumni weekend, will be open to the public. It will include rides, food and fireworks.
