Class of '62 Student Enrichment Fund Event
Campus visit by Austin Welch, CMA '11, USMA '15
and Melissa Yasnowski, USMA '15
May 15-17, 2015

For the second time in 3 years the First Captain at the US Military Academy (West Point) is a Culver grad: Austin Welch. As with his predecessor (Charlie Phelps, CMA '08, USMA '12), classmates Mike Hood (USMA ‘67) and Craig Duchossois in concert with our Class of '62 Student Enrichment Fund have been instrumental in bringing this distinguished young graduate back to the Academy to interact with the student body. What follows is the description of the event written by Cathy Mitzell Duke from the Academy's staff, edited to include Austin's list of "11 life truths that Culver taught him".

Mike Hood arrived by private jet with Austin Welch [CMA '11; USMA '15, First Captain and Brigade Commander] and Melissa Yasnowski [USMA '15, Captain and Brigade Executive Officer] on Friday morning, May 15. An academy driver picked them up at the Plymouth airport, and they arrived on campus with time to freshen up for their lunch engagements. Mike and Austin went to the Class of '62 luncheon, and I took Melissa to the dining hall to meet with ten of our CGA students. Three of the group are heading to the Naval Academy in June, and many of the others are interested in service academies. A lively discussion ensued and many questions were asked. Melissa related well with the girls and was natural and forthright. She relied on her own experiences to inform and enlighten the CGA leaders, who were hand- picked by their counselors to attend.

We rendezvoused with Mike and Austin at the all school assembly. Mike and Melissa had preferential seating in the front and were introduced by Mr. Buxton. John did a wonderful job of describing the Class of 62 Enrichment Fund for the packed auditorium. Austin was introduced by his Culver mentor, Joe Horvath, and at that point Austin took control of the room. His confidence and ability to articulate a clear message of humility, appreciation, and servant leadership was captivating. His presentation focused on his eleven points on how to live your life (slightly modified from the list he delivered in April 2015 at the Chicago Culver Club).

1. Live honorably

2. Take bold risks

3. Thank your folks

4. Handwrite Thank You notes

5. Have a personal board of directors - find your mentors - learn from those people around you.

6. Figure out who you can trust -- invest in those people

7. Mom reads your emails ... FaceBook/Twitter, whatever -- 24 hour cool down

8. You need to get involved at Culver

9. Understand the importance of being self-disciplined and motivated as you enter college

10. Your leadership counts

11. Cherish each other

After the above picture, Austin and Melissa attended the Iron Gate Ceremony and visited with alumni and students the rest of the day. Mike departed for the airport.
Saturday at 10 am, Austin and Melissa met with about thirty students and alumni at Roberts Auditorium. A lively question and answer period allowed the two cadets to set the best example possible. They are such impressive young people! Topics included servant leadership, women in combat, and our two leadership structures at Culver. I ended the session at 11:30 am, and many students said they were "awesome" and had pictures taken with them.

Austin and Melissa reviewed the corps at parade, and finished their weekend interacting with as many people as possible before their Sunday morning flight. Their visit spurred much conversation and made an impact on our community. Special thanks to the Class of '62 Student Enrichment Fund for its support, Craig Duchossois for the jet, and Mike Hood for giving his time, to make this event happen.

-- Cathy Mitzell Duke
Fine Arts Chair, Class of 1970

In addition to Cathy's description of the event, here is feedback from students with their reaction:

CLASS OF 1962 STUDENT ENRICHMENT FUND FEEDBACK
Speaker - USMA First Captain Austin Welch
May 15, 2015

"I liked that he made it a point to talk to us and not at us. He was also very prepared, having both concise and meaningful points. My favorite part was his advice to us about making the most out of our time at Culver. His speech related to my life in many ways, specially his points about thanking out parents for the opportunity to be here and forming relationships that will last a lifetime. His presentation made me realize how lucky I am to be a Culver student, and how I should cherish every second I have here and take opportunities because before I know it, it will be over."
--Nicole '16

"I greatly enjoyed Austin Welch's presentation, and so did everyone I have talked to about it. I cannot think of anything he could have done better, everything was outstanding. In future years, I believe the Class of 1962 should continue bringing Culver Alumni who have succeeded in life like Austin Welch. For students, it is very inspiring to hear what they have to say, take their advice, and have a role model to look up to."
--Jeremy '15

"Most of the time I take things for granted and I now realize that little things, such as a thank you note, can really matter. I loved all of Austin's speech. He should come and speak more often (if possible, that is). I would like the next speaker to be as lively and friendly as this one, please!!!"
--Uche '18

"I really like how Austin applied what he has learned to Culver life. I found it very interesting and actually applicable to our lives that we are living now. I thought that it was really great how he made it more of a conversational speech and walked around on the floor instead of talking to us from the stage. I found that his 11 points were actually very useful. I think that he did a very good job combining what he had learned at West Point and Culver and applying it to our lives here."
--Julia '16

"His speech really inspired me and pushed me to want to live up the rest of my Culver career as much as I could. I think there are things here that I haven't taken advantage of as much as I can, and I am definitely going to try to get a lot closer with the adults and mentors on campus."
--Joseph '18

"I really loved his presentation. I think that since he was a Culver grad he had a lot of stories from his time here, some that he did share, but I would have loved to hear more stories. I like motivational speakers. I think that hearing from people closer to our age that have done so much already, is really inspirational."
--Ian '15

"I really liked how relatable & willing Austin was to share with us that he didn't have a perfect road leading up to his current success; it made it more real to me and not another "here's what you do wrong and I do right" lecture. I was also impressed by his confidence and great speaking skills. I think his speech is relevant to us here at Culver because we are held to a higher standard than most peers our age, which he of all people understands first hand. With that being said, his points about leadership, honor & service apply to how we should strive to live every day to furthermore develop our mind, body & spirit. Personally I want to go to the Naval Academy so it was equipping for me in the sense that I got a taste of the core values in which the service academies strive for. I also was in complete awe at how confident and poised he was in addressing the student body - definitely worth admiring."
--Victoria '17

"I liked how he came down off the stage and "talked to us not at us". It made it much more engaging. All of his 11 points can relate to my life. I feel like I can use all of his points to be a better leader and a better person. I will try to implement his 11 points and utilize his advice that has a lot of experience and wisdom behind it in day to day life."
--Alec '16

"I honestly thought Austin's speech was amazing. My favorite part was how easy he was to listen to. The worse thing for a speaker is when the listeners cannot listen. This happens because of the tone and stories they use. Austin utilized funny stories that kept the listeners engage with his upbeat tone. I could listen to him talk all day because of these features. The tips Austin gave to us are very useful. They not only applied to the senior class that is graduating, but also the current Culver students. His ideas are actually still present in my mind. It was not like I completely ignored his tips and forgot about all of them after his speech. I would recommend for him to come to Culver and speak again."
--Harry '16

"I liked how personable he was. He related everything he talked about to the student body at Culver and gave very helpful tips. I like hearing from speakers that are younger Culver grads that are successful are good. They are often more relatable to the students and know how to get the attention of the crowd."
--Matt '17

"I liked that he moved around and did not just stand at the podium. It helped me to stay engaged and actually listen to what he was saying. He went to Culver and all of his tips are relevant to us. He is very successful and what he told us about thank you notes, taking risks, and other things are truly insightful and will help us become successful if we want a positive outcome in life. I will try to live more in the moment, and take advantage of all the opportunities that I have here at Culver that most people do not have the chance to experience."
--Brooke '17

"My favorite part about Austin's speech was his ability to connect with the audience. He was down with the audience and moving around. He made it feel more like a one on one conversation than someone talking down to a crowd. He was very personable and made you feel comfortable."
--Cole '15

"Austin's speech connected to me trying to figure out who, and what, I want to be later in life. He gave helpful advice which I can use to better understand the predicaments I may be put in and how to handle them professionally and efficiently to get the most out of it. His advice helps me make choices on what direction I want my life to go and what path I want to be on when I leave pass through the Iron Gate. I would recommend having a speaker from the business world come and give a presentation. I think that with all of the students at Culver choosing careers, there should be some more business world advice, rather than more of a military view on life."
--Dylan '18

"I liked his speech as a whole. He had valid points of advice, and he was a great speaker. It was very natural and it was entertaining. Although some of his points were things that I already tried to do, there were also some things that I didn't think of, but I should do them. It was definitely pertinent, being a senior who is about to go off to college. He moved off the stage to make it easier to talk to the students, but being on the balcony, we couldn't see him. This type of speaker who talks about life lessons or leadership is good."
--Johnny '15

"First off, I must note that I believe this was one of the best talks I have had the privilege of hearing thus far at Culver. The way he addressed the audience and the genuine, helpful nature of his speech made it a memorable one. Austin's speech clearly related to my life in that it was tailored specifically towards us as students at Culver. His experiences here undoubtedly aided in this, but he was also able to draw on what he has learned at West Point to help us get as much out of our Culver experience as possible. His speech, delivered in eleven different small, yet immensely valuable, pieces of wisdom, gave everyone something to take away from it. Honestly, I can't say there was anything I didn't like about the presentation, except maybe that I didn't get to pick the brain and soak up the ideas of this great leader and role model as much as I would've liked to. With this being said, I feel that the additional smaller session with Austin and his executive officer was a great opportunity for students to do just that, and I would have loved to attend if it weren't for a lacrosse game that day."
--Alex '17

"Austin's speech definitely influenced how I will view my time here at Culver and helped enforce the idea that Culver can be an invaluable tool in forging human relationships that last a lifetime, not just a place for a good education. Specifically, his point about hand writing thank-you notes is something I will definitely draw on in the future. In addition, I feel like his message will help me to focus more on enjoying my time with the people around me and respecting the value of hard work."
--Claire '18

"My favorite part about Austin's speech was the way it was delivered, with a conversational, relatable tone. His act of coming down into the audience in order to talk with us rather than at us really resonated with me. Also, I believe Austin's ability to relate to the students, having attended Culver himself, greatly added to his message."
--Tyler '15