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Tag: Class of 2027

Behind the Balance: Matthew Picard ’27 — Keydet Men’s Swim and Dive

Virginia Military Institute’s cadet-athletes have to juggle cadet life, heavy academic course loads, and their NCAA Division I sport. Committed to both academic and athletic pursuits, balancing their rigorous schedule in both sports and school requires a certain level of commitment and discipline. Behind the Balance is a series that focuses on those cadet-athletes and how they handle the hurdles of the day-to-day. 

Matthew Picard ’27 vowed he would never attend a military college. One of his teammates in high school ended up going to Virginia Military Institute and he was encouraged to investigate it.

“He went to high school with me, and we both swam on the high school team. I asked where he was going to college, because he was the captain and a good role model. And he said, VMI,” Picard explained. “I was like, what is that military school? He then said I should look into it. I’m like, no, I’m never going to go. There is no reason for me to go into the military.” 

A conversation with his father got some gears turning for him. That’s when he started researching VMI.  

Picard was intrigued to see that a new aquatic center was being built at VMI and there was also a new swim coach. After a conversation with Coach Scott Thacker, Picard was more on board. Then he discovered the engineering program at the Institute, and he was sold.  

“It came down to the decision, and my dad told me, ‘If you’re going to pick four years of your life to put everything into and just get it done, it’s now,” he said. 

The mechanical engineering major is enrolled in 19 credits this semester, as well as being part of the swim and dive team.  

Cadet-athletes at VMI not only have their responsibilities with their selected sport but cadet duties on top of that. Cadets are also required to take physical fitness classes twice a week, participate in ROTC all four years, prepare for room and uniform inspections, practice for parade, guard duty, and more. 

Managing his time has been the hardest thing to get down. 

“I benefit from practicing and then eating,” He explained. “I find that I can lock in and get work done after that.” 

His days start early — 6 a.m. four times a week for morning practice. He’s in class starting at 8 or 9 a.m. then practice again at 4 p.m. until after 7 p.m. After grabbing a bite to eat, then he dedicates the rest of the night to studying and schoolwork.  

Swimming, although a demanding practice schedule, allows him to switch focus. He swims the 50-meter, 100-meter, and 200-meter relays, all freestyle.  

Matthew Picard diving into the pool during a Virginia Military Institute swim meet.

“I think it’s very power focused. I love moving quick, trying to get to the wall as fast as you can,” he stated. “I think it’s very competitive. I feel like with sprints, you’re a lot closer with other people, so it kind of pushes you to get that much faster.” 

He’s proven to be fast. Last year, he and others on the team broke several VMI records. He set a rat and team record in the 50-yard freestyle, a rat and team record in the 100-yard freestyle, a rat and team record in the 200-freestyle, as well as several other relay records. 

Picard has been interested in how things work since a young age. He likes taking things apart and putting them back together. 

“I used to take apart pens, radios, just all sorts of stuff. And my parents hated it, because I would just break things,” he joked. “I like to know why does that work the way it does. That’s the biggest thing: designing and then building, and then problem solving and going through the whole process to make things.” 

He feels like VMI prepared him to handle heavy course loads and his swim team responsibilities, as well as preparing him for whatever is next after he graduates.  

“I think I’ve definitely felt more qualified than some of my buddies that have come back from other places with the same major. I think it’s definitely taught some life skills, a lot of maturity. We grow up fast here.” 

Behind the Balance: Patrick Jordon ’27 — Keydet Wrestling

Virginia Military Institute’s cadet-athletes have to juggle cadet life, heavy academic course loads, and their NCAA Division I sport. Committed to both academic and athletic pursuits, balancing their rigorous schedule in both sports and school requires a certain level of commitment and discipline. Behind the Balance is a series that focuses on those cadet-athletes and how they handle the hurdles of the day-to-day. 

At 5 years old, Patrick Jordon’s ’27 parents were urged to take him to wrestling practice. It started out as an appeasement to his parents’ friends, but in turn, he ended up loving it. 

“We went to practice just to tell them that we went and that we wouldn’t do it again. I really liked it, so I stuck with it,” he said. It’s an individual sport. You get out of it what you put in. I really like that part, because it’s up to me to get the results.”The civil engineering major initially wanted to commission but has devoted more time to wrestling and his major. He was drawn to Virginia Military Institute primarily for wrestling but was also interested in the engineering program. 

“I had heard that professors were super helpful. Civil engineering is hands on. You can see the work that you put in. I like solving problems,” Jordon explained. “Also, coming out of here, I would have a good setup.” 

As a wrestler, he has to think about his weight class, so it’s either gaining or losing weight. It can put some stress on Jordon, which can make him procrastinate.  

“Honestly, I just have to start, because the hardest part is starting,” he stated. “Whether it’s cutting weight or homework, I’d like to put it off, but once I start, it’s not that bad. You take it one step at a time, and it’s manageable.” 

Cadet-athletes at VMI not only have their responsibilities with their selected sport but cadet duties on top of that. Cadets are also required to take physical fitness classes twice a week, participate in ROTC all four years, prepare for room and uniform inspections, practice for parade, guard duty, and more.“Wrestling has taught me a lot of the same lessons that VMI has taught me, like time management and pushing through the hard times,” he said. “With wrestling, there’s a lot of weight management. Sometimes school was hard, even in high school, just because I was worrying about my weight.” 

VMI Wrestling vs. Seton Hill Action Shot
VMI Wrestling vs. Seton Hill Action Shot

In times of struggle, he reaches out to those he’s close with at VMI, either on the wrestling team or his roommates, who are in the same major as him.  

“I talk to my friends a lot. We all go through the same stuff, whether that’s in the wrestling room or up on the hill,” he admitted. 

Jordon said last year he struggled both on and off the mat. He found his love for wrestling diminishing. This year, it took figuring out how to manage his time. When it’s school time, he focuses on that. At practice, wrestling is all that’s on his mind.  

“I really have a blast. And the people that I do it with are probably some of my best friends ever. Wrestling practice is the best part of my day,” he commented. “I fell in love with it again.” 

The mental and physical struggle is something Jordon is moving past or learning how to cope with. 

“As a rat, I really struggled with my weight and wrestling,” he admitted. “I didn’t really struggle in school too much, but learning how to balance my time, because between going to wrestling and coming back, you don’t have much to play around with. It’s like one thing after the other. Because I procrastinate a lot, and I know that once I start something, I pretty much finish it in one sitting.” 

Elections Mark Next Milestone for VMI’s Class of 2027

From matriculation through the walk across the stage at graduation, a VMI class works together to support and guide each other, unifying cadets from all backgrounds, ways of life, and diverse locations into one cohesive group with a shared commitment to excellence and leadership. 

After breaking out of the Rat Line, the Class of 2027 has taken their next step at the Institute, electing their class president, vice president, and historian. Earlier this month, 10 candidates for these positions stood in front of their brother rats in Memorial Hall to present their case to earn the right to lead VMI’s newest class. Following a vote by the 4th Class cadets, these important positions have been filled.

  • Matthew D. Assouad of Fredericksburg, Virginia — class president
  • Pierson M. Read of Duluth, Georgia — class vice president
  • Isaiah S.A. Glover of Pottstown — class historian

– VMI –

Behind the Balance: Zach Denton ’27 — Keydet Track and Field

LEXINGTON, Va. April 22, 2025 — The hurdles of college and extracurricular activities mean something a little different for Zach Denton ’27, considering he actually jumps hurdles. As part of the Virginia Military Institute track and field team, Denton is dedicated to going the distance.  

“Hurdles was always something I was very attracted to. I started in the 6th grade running hurdles, and it just always excited me so much,” he explained. “I continued it through high school. When I had the opportunity here, the coaches were receptive to me coming in to do hurdles.” 

It was a learning curve. Denton said that there’s a height increase in hurdles from high school to the college level — 39 inches to 42 inches.  

“It was a big jump freshman year to do that,” he said. “We spent a lot of my freshman year doing adjustments.” 

Not only was the height difference something to adjust to, but also the amount of coaching he was getting at VMI. Coming from a military family, he moved from school to school growing up.  

“I went to two separate high schools, and for the second half of my high school time, I didn’t have a coach. I had no hurdles coach, so I was basically self-coached,” he stated.  

Having a dedicated coach to work on his technique, plus allow for the transition in hurdle heights, Denton admitted the extra work paid off. 

“I was finally getting coached in a direction that I could go. I’m really excited for that as well.” 

He’s now living out his dream of running Division I track and field — participating in both hurdles and the long jump. The psychology major was also in one of the first classes to be able to receive the Call to Duty scholarship offered at VMI. That, in addition to a U.S. Army ROTC scholarship, the financial aid he was receiving was appealing in his decision to choose VMI.  

Zach Denton jumping hurdles during a track and field meet at Virginia Military Institute.
VMI Team Challenge track and field meet at the Corps Physical Training Facility in Lexington, VA January 11, 2025. (Randall K. Wolf)

He dedicates more than a dozen hours a week to track and field. On top of that, he’s enrolled in 17 and a half credits, and part of Color Guard staff.  

Cadet-athletes at VMI not only have their responsibilities with their selected sport but cadet duties on top of that. Cadets are also required to take physical fitness classes twice a week, participate in ROTC all four years, prepare for room and uniform inspections, practice for parade, guard duty, and more. 

He said he has to be smart about what activities he chooses.  

“For example, for Color Guard staff, a lot of the stuff I need to do I will already be at,” he explained. “We raise the flag at formations, for example, so I’m already there. I’m just tacking that stuff on and then just really knowing what you have to do … a lot of to-do lists. I make a huge list of all the assignments that I know of at the beginning of each semester, and I go through those, just being really meticulous. I always tell people VMI is great at telling you when you don’t have time. So once you know when you don’t have time, you make a list of everything you need to do. And squash it in there.”

He tries to not let the stresses of daily cadet life or the preparation before a big race get to him. He said when it comes to track and field, a lot of his thoughts are centered in the build-up to the event than the actual race.  

Zach Denton jumping at a track and field meet at Virginia Military Institute.
VMI Team Challenge track and field meet at the Corps Physical Training Facility in Lexington, VA January 11, 2025. (Randall K. Wolf)

“When you’re going through it, you really want your mind just to be conditioned to just do it in that instant, because in hurdles, that race is eight seconds long. Long jump isn’t a very long race,” he admitted. “You really want to get your body prepped and primed, and that’s where all the visualization happens when you’re going through the drills. But once you get on the run, once the gun goes off for the race, ideally, your best races, you have nothing going through your head. It’ll just be all muscle memory.” 

He said some of his best races are the ones he doesn’t really remember.   

Thanks to his time at VMI, he said he’s become more confident in himself, and it has presented him with a lot of opportunities to step up.  

“Whether it’s public speaking or handling yourself under pressure, being a neat and precise person, I would say all those are foundational things. As I go into my 2nd Class year, the main focus is exerting influence on others. As a 3rd Class cadet, I’ve watched the 2nds and the 1sts lead, and I’ve learned from them. Soon it will be my turn to start doing that. I’m really preparing for that moment when I’m primarily leading others instead of being a follower.”