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 ����vlog���� 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 ����vlog���� “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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All five students in ����vlog����’ Greystone Preparatory School have received multiple nominations to the country’s military service academies.

Greystone is a college-level academy prep school that prepares students for nomination, appointment and success at one of the five military service academies in the United States.

This year’s Greystone class includes, Rocco Alessandro of Hartley, Del.; James “Coley” Cowden of Austin, Texas; Madison Crosley of Camden, Del.; Cole Muraszewski of Oakhurst, Calif.; and Ethan Rios of Severance, Col.

“We are extremely pleased with the multiple nominations that have come in for our students, and that are still coming in,” said Greystone Executive Director David Bailey, a retired U.S. Navy commander. “The students have put in the time and work to earn these nominations, which is the first hurdle to the presentation of admission to the academy admission boards.”

Bailey said one key component of the nomination process are School Official Evaluations (SOEs) by professors on behalf of the Greystone students. Bailey commended three U of O professors for their efforts in providing SOEs — Dr. Befrika Murdianti, assistant professor of chemistry, Dr. Amy Oatis, associate professor of English; and Christie Shoulders, instructor of mathematics.

“Each of those professors have written multiple SOEs for our students in their free time and that is greatly appreciated,” Bailey said. “All of our professors at Ozarks have been great to work with. One of the questions that our students get asked during the nomination process is about the classes they are taking and the time they get to work with their professors, both inside and outside the classroom. That has been a very positive experience across the board. That speaks very highly of the University and of the professors here.”

Rocco earned two senatorial nominations each to the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and the U.S Military Academy.

Cowden received a senatorial nomination to the U.S. Military Academy with a letter of assurance and a congressional nomination to the U.S. Naval Academy.

Madison received two senatorial and one congressional nomination each to the U.S. Military Academy with a letter of assurance, the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Air Force Academy and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.

Muraszewski received a congressional nomination each to the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Military Academy and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.

Rios received a congressional nomination to the U.S. Air Force Academy and two congressional nominations to the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.

All six Greystone students from last year’s class are currently enrolled in a service academy —  Issac Braeske and Ellery Doyna in the U.S. Military Academy; Sean McCabe and Matthew Yonkers in the U.S. Naval Academy; and Lee McDonald and Adrian Post in the U.S. Air Force Academy.

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For six ����vlog���� students, a recent phone call or email brought momentous news.

The six students are part of the University’s Greystone Preparatory School and the news they received in recent weeks were long-awaited appointments to one or more of the country’s military service academies. Those students are (pictured, from left) Lee McDonald of Kerrville, Texas; Ike Braeske of St. Louis, Mo.; A.J. Post of Altus, Ark.; Corbin Endre of Wilmington, N.C.; Matthew Yonkers of Sayville, N.Y.; and Ellery Doyna of Austin, Texas.

Greystone is a college-level academy prep school that prepares students for nomination, appointment and success at one of the country’s five military service academies. Greystone moved to the U of O campus in 2020 after spending the previous 16 years in Texas.

Doyna received her appointment to her first choice, the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, several weeks ago. She found out the news through a phone call from Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton while sitting in Greystone Commander David Bailey’s office with some of her fellow Greystone students.

“Commander Bailey told me I had a call to help with recruiting, so we were just waiting in his office,” Doyna said. “I thought it was kind of weird that we were all just sitting there waiting, but I just thought the candidate was someone important. When the phone rang, I was preparing to talk to a prospective Greystone candidate, but it was Senator Cotton and he told me that I got accepted into West Point. I burst into tears. I don’t even remember what he said after that because I was so overwhelmed with happiness. I immediately sprinted to my room, picked up the phone and called my dad. He won’t admit it, but I think he was also crying.”

Doyna spent the next several hours sharing the good news with family and friends.

“I called just about everyone who has helped me along this journey,” she said. “My favorite call was to my best friend’s mom. She was teaching a class and burst into tears when I told her the news. Making those phone calls was so rewarding. I didn’t really realize how many people I had rooting for me until I physically had to call each and every one of them. To celebrate, my boyfriend, who is at the Air Force Academy, and I are going to New York City this spring break to see my family and my friends who go to school in New York.”

Post was accepted into West Point and the Naval Academy and is waiting to hear back from his first choice, the U.S. Air Force Academy.

“It has been my dream to attend a service academy since I was about 10 years old,” Post said. “As a young boy, my interest was piqued by military equipment and military history, so having the opportunity to experience those types of things as an academy cadet is amazing. There have been many people in the military that have mentored and guided me on the path that I am currently on, and to be able to follow in their footsteps and serve the country and community that I love is a great honor.”

Post credited both Greystone and U of O for helping him earn academy appointments.

“Greystone has been instrumental in preparing me for the academies and my future career as a military officer,” Post said. “It has pushed me to the limits to make me the best possible candidate I could be, and I truly believe that the experiences and friendships that I have established here will last a lifetime. Ozarks has also helped significantly to prepare me for the academies. Here, professors are very helpful and the class sizes are usually on the smaller side. Both of those aspects are characteristic of the academies.”

Yonkers also received appointments to both West Point and the Naval Academy, where he plans to enroll. He said attending a service academy has been a long-time goal.

“My aspiration to serve was initially sparked when I was a Cub Scout, and my troop took a trip to Calverton National Cemetery to place flags on the graves of fallen soldiers,” Yonkers said. “As we placed flags, I began to ask myself who these people are and why they are significant?  I started researching the military and was introduced to a retired vice admiral, who shared his experiences as a midshipman, Naval Academy professor, and career as an officer commanding the U.S. submarine fleet. His stories led to my discovery of the service academies and the opportunities they presented. I am inspired to follow in his footsteps and pursue a career in the Navy, leading and developing future leaders.”

Braeske learned of his appointment to West Point by checking the academy’s portal one late night over winter break.

“I saw a big green box that said ‘Congratulations,’ and my initial reaction was shock and then denial,” he said. “I wasn’t at all prepared to celebrate, because best-case scenario, I thought I might hear back from the academies in March or April. But I started waking up everybody in my house to share the news with, and I tried to call a lot of my friends, but most of them were asleep.”

McDonald earned an appointment from the Merchant Marine Academy and is waiting to hear back from the other academies, inmcluding his first choice, the Air Force Academy.

“I’ve always wanted to fly and I can’t recall a time where I haven’t wanted to be an Air Force fighter pilot,” McDonald said. “In middle school, I met an academy graduate and realized that the Air Force Academy was the premier place to become a fighter pilot.”

Endre received his appointment to West Point, and is hoping to hear the same good news soon from his first choice, the Naval Academy.

“I decided that I wanted to go to one of the academies about two and a half years ago, as the best possible route for military service,” Endre said. “I believe that Greystone has absolutely helped me in my application, especially in my fitness and study habits. I believe as well that U of O has helped me greatly in my understandings of chemistry, calculus, and statistics, all critical for the STEM focus I intend to pursue at the academy and in my military career.”

Doyna also said Greystone helped her reach her dream goal.

“I will honestly say that I would not be the person I am today without Greystone,” she said. “It has helped me grow, and more importantly, has made me want to grow. By no means is the program easy, but the Baileys and my fellow Greystone classmates make it worth it. I have been equipped with a series of professional skills, ranging from interview skills to simply how to pay attention to details on documents, and I wholeheartedly owe this to the rigorous environment within Greystone and the opportunities that the program has given me to grow. Greystone teaches you resilience in the best way, because quite literally, the program is built to help you learn from your mistakes and grow towards your goals. I will say that I earned my appointment through my hard work, but Greystone has been the guide throughout the journey.”

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