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Greystone Students Earn Appointment to Academies

March 21, 2023
By Larry Isch
Posted in About
Greystone students

Cole Muraszewski got the good news while he was making a cake. Ethan Rios learned through a call from a staff member of his U.S. Congressman’s office. Rocco Alessandro got the news while on a phone call with his parents. And, James Coley Cowden III received the good news through a text from his mother as he was leaving class.

(Pictured, from left) Muraszewski, Rios, Alessandro and Cowden are members of the Greystone Preparatory Program at University of the Ozarks and in recent weeks they all received appointments to one or more of the U.S. military service academies. The appointments represented the achievement of long-time goals for the students and were a culmination of numerous months of hard work and preparation.

Muraszewski, of Oakhurst, Calif., received an appointment to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. He is still awaiting word from the U.S. Naval Academy and the Merchant Marine Academy.

Coming from a family with four generations of U.S. Navy sailors, Muraszewski said his initial goal was to be the first Naval officer in his family. He said the more he learned about West Point, the more he felt led to attend there.

“The plan was to attend the Naval Academy until quite recently when I discovered West Point’s military individual advanced development opportunities, which are greater than those at the USNA,” he said. “I want to maximize my military training at an academy by attending training such as airborne, air assault, and Sapper school.”

Muraszewski said earning an appointment to West Point fulfilled a life-long goal.

“I was devastated last year after receiving a rejection letter from the academies,” he said. “Finally, receiving an offer of appointment from West Point is extremely rewarding because I’ve been pursuing this dream for years. I am immeasurably grateful to my teachers, mentors, coworkers, and peers for motivating and aiding me throughout this journey. The military and academy preparation I have received at Greystone has helped me to realize my potential. I may have given up on my academy dreams if I had stayed in my hometown or continued my education elsewhere.”

Rios, from Severance, Colo., received an appointment to the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado, his first choice.

“Since I was a kid, I have wanted to be an astronaut,” Rios said. “One of the most common career routes to that position is to become a test pilot and fighter pilot in the Navy or the Air Force. This continues to be my current plan today. Receiving this appointment means everything to me. Big dreams require small steps. Although getting my appointment doesn’t guarantee I will achieve my career goals, it is the path I have dreamed of taking for a long time. I have spent years working to become the best version of myself to stand out for the academy, and now I am getting the chance to better myself even more and become a strong leader of character during my four-year tenure at USAFA. This is the first step of many, and I am beyond grateful and proud of everyone who has mentored me and of myself for staying the course.”

Rios learned of his appointment after emailing his U.S. congressman’s office in Colorado.

“I contacted my congressman’s academy liaison to check if they had heard anything from the academies since they are notified of any appointments first,” he said. “She gave me a call about an hour later of my email. At first, I thought she was checking in, but then she mentioned that I was selected from my district for an appointment to the Air Force Academy. She thought I already knew, but I had no idea. I was taken aback, and honestly, I started crying some heavy tears of joy on the phone with her. I was ecstatic. I almost couldn’t believe it. While I had confidence that the work I had put in would make me competitive, I was still scared because I knew some people were essentially perfect I was competing with. But sure enough, the hard work and mentorship from Greystone pulled through. I first thought, ‘it was all worth it.’ It’s not been easy following the Greystone course of study, but I learned proficiency in leadership, academics and athletics, which shaped me into the ideal candidate for the academy. It just came down to wanting it more than my competition, and I did.”

The first call Rios made was to his mother.

“She has been my biggest fan and has kept me disciplined, honest and motivated to push the envelope even when I wasn’t motivated,” Rios said. “Although I cried after hearing the news, I called her immediately to tell her the good news. She also started crying. This hasn’t just been a goal of mine, but for my entire family. They have been in my corner since day one, so they have all been very happy to see me achieve this, especially after being rejected last year.

Alessandro, from Camden, Del., also received an appointment from West Point and is awaiting word from several other academies. He said he hasn’t decided where he will attend yet, but he plans to join their elite special forces ranks.

“Earning an appointment means receiving an opportunity to lead some of the best people in our nation into the fray of battle,” Alessandro said. “It means the opportunity to mentor others long-term; those opportunities inspire me to better myself. Greystone has done a lot in helping me both earn an appointment and grow as a scholar, leader and athlete. I have been provided straight-forward feedback on how my actions directly affect my peers, I have received imperative knowledge on how to lead others, and I have learned how to combat some weaknesses through organized plans.”

Cowden, of Austin, Texas, received appointments to both the U.S. Navy Academy and the U.S. Military Academy and will decide between the two.

“Receiving these appointments mean I have an opportunity, and I hope to use it well,” Cowden said. “Greystone provided not only the framework to improve me as an applicant, but I think, most importantly, it has surrounded me with great people, from the board of the directors to the Baileys, to my teammates. My time at Ozarks has been invaluable because I think the classes I have taken have been good and because the professors are incredibly helpful and willing to go out of their way to assist in everything from the class material to evaluations for the academy applications. The student community is also great.”

Muraszewski said Greystone’s alignment with University of the Ozarks “has been a blessing.”

“My professors have had limitless patience and have always prioritized learning over memorization,” he said. “Their devotion has maximized my education and helped me adjust to life after high school. I appreciate them more than they will ever know.”

Rios agreed that taking classes at Ozarks while going through the Greystone program puts him and his classmates in an advantage over other incoming academy students.

“Being a college student, and performing well in our course load, really goes a long way in demonstrating our academic excellence to the admissions boards at the academies,” Rios said. “All of my professors have helped me immensely in becoming the student that I am. The University has given me lots of resources to succeed academically. At the academy, I will have a head start over my classmates because I have already been exposed to a full college course load and learned how to succeed in difficult courses. The staff and facilities of the University have been very beneficial to not just me but every one of my teammates in the program.”

Muraszewski’s advice to future Greystone students is to stay persistent.

“They will likely find themselves more homesick than expected and may struggle at first to adjust to the structure of an academy prep school,” Muraszewski said. “Understand that Greystone is a learning laboratory. Unlike most academy appointees, Greystone students have the unique chance to find themselves and adapt to what life will be like at the academies. Lastly, I would ask future classes to forge a relationship with graduates of the Greystone program. Greystone alumni have networks and can answer nearly any academy-related question. They also offer insight into Greystone from an unbeatable perspective.”

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