The Vanguard series highlights cadets of Virginia Military Institute who exemplify promise, perseverance, and the true spirit of leadership. While they may not be the top-ranking students or those in prestigious positions, these individuals’ dedication, resilience, and growth embody the essence of being a VMI cadet. By sharing their stories, including the challenges they’ve faced and overcome, we shine a spotlight on the diverse paths to success at the Institute, proving that leadership and excellence come in many forms.
Coming to Virginia Military Institute wasn’t an easy adjustment for Matthew Atienza ’26. He was across the country, in an unfamiliar place, and unsure of it all.
His original intent was to commission into the Air Force and be an international studies major. But that shifted when Atienza realized he wanted to be a teacher. It took one class during the Summer Transition Program (STP) to win him over and switch to be an English major.
“I loved what we learned. I loved learning about rhetoric in that class,” he explained. “And as I was going through the international studies major, I realized I didn’t really enjoy what I was doing I looked back through my post view, I have an A in every single English class I’ve ever taken. So why not do something I’m not only good at, but passionate about?”
He was inspired by George Abry, instructor in the Department of English, Rhetoric, and Humanistic Studies, during that STP session. He credits Abry to his switch from international studies to English. Abry said Atienza has a quiet confidence about him, without the need for fanfare or recognition.
“One thing I remember most about Matthew was the work he put into his essays,” Abry said. “If I recall, at times he struggled with his own writing structurally and at the sentence level, which means he worked hard to improve through conferencing, peer review, and revision. Ultimately, I think his own struggles with writing will make him a stronger teacher.”
Atienza is the type of person to get things done early. He wants to finish a task the moment it’s assigned.
“As a student, I always try to get on top of everything as quickly as I possibly can,” he said.
He feels like he’s evolved, not only as a student, but also as a cadet.
“I came here when I was 17 years old, skinny, unathletic, pretty lazy, grades were terrible, but I had a lot of good people behind me who supported me,” he admitted. “I think as a rat or as a 4th classman, I didn’t feel like I deserved to be a cadet.”
Instead of having doubts overtake him, he was able to pick himself up and take control of his own life. By transferring out of Air Force ROTC and changing his major, he made huge life decisions.
“I really put my career in my own hands. I’m on the Dean’s List now,” he said. “I think as a cadet, I have been very resilient. I faced a lot of hardships here. I am from across the country, so it’s lots of financial challenges and managing relationships from so far away.”
It took some time, but Atienza can now reflect on his journey of becoming physically and mentally stronger. He remembers from his time on the Rat Line they were learning a drill maneuver called inspection arms, where they’d have to pull the bolt back on a rifle.
“During that time, I was super weak, and I couldn’t do it. I was one of the only people that couldn’t do it,” he explained. “I remember my first sergeant at the end of training was like, ‘you either need to cut your bolt so it’s easier or get stronger.’”
Atienza said for about two to three weeks, he practiced. He got stronger. And made sure it was perfect.
“I remember one day we were supposed to drill outside, but it started raining, and we just did inspection arms for an hour straight, and I executed it perfectly every single time without messing up,” he stated. “I didn’t get any acknowledgement from it, but I was really proud of myself in that moment. And whenever I think I can’t do something, or I’m not as strong enough, or I don’t have the willpower to do this. I remember back when I was only 17 years old here. It seems so small, but it’s very significant.”
He also had to learn how to live far away from his family. Originally from California’s Bay Area, he said it was a bit of a culture shock when he came to Lexington.
“I lived in a place with different beliefs, different ideologies, and I guess more diverse,” he said. “I had a really rough time.”
During his rat year, he said everything kind of fell apart. Two of his neighbors in barracks, who were some of his closest friends, ended up leaving VMI. Plus, all his roommates he had his rat year all left the school.
“I was the only person left,” he said.
The one thing that helped was getting rank — he served as part of the color guard. He said it allowed him to connect with more people.
He also had some humbling moments at VMI. From what was easy in high school for him was shockingly challenging at the Institute.
“There are levels to education that I was not aware of, and I struggled greatly my rat year to 3rd Class year. My GPA was below 2.5, my grades were bad. But I learned how to not procrastinate. I taught myself how to study. I think most importantly, I taught myself how to ask for help. That’s something I never did. It’s something that I was always scared to do.”
Last summer, Atienza worked at Breakthrough Silicon Valley, a nonprofit focused on education equity. There he taught students from lower-income homes and immigrant backgrounds to close the education gap.
“I was a 9th grade teacher and taught two English classes and one public speaking class,” he explained. “Working hands-on with my students opened my eyes to bigger issues in marginalized communities and gave me a new sense of duty. Working at Breakthrough has inspired me to not only continue a career in education, but to also be an active member in my community as an advocate for education equity.”
At the end of his internship, he received the Americorps Segal Education Award, a scholarship of about $1,500.
Col. Emily Miller, Professor of English and English, Rhetoric, and Humanistic Studies department head, described Atienza as a conscientious, thoughtful, and reflective student. She said he contributes to class discussion with excellent comments and questions. His writing is strong. Miller cites that his essays explore works of literature in their cultural context.
“He brings an intellectual curiosity to his classes that makes him a pleasure to have in class. He has a strong commitment to education and a passion to serve others,” she said. “He is an attentive listener, reflective reader, and a mature and independent thinker. He is humble but confident. He also has a great sense of humor.”
As a 1st Class cadet, Atienza’s advice is to not be afraid of asking for help — or asking anything in general.
“Don’t be afraid to reach out, in the sense of asking help from your professors. Or reaching out to your brother rat that lives next door to become friends,” he said.
