First woman from St. George accepted to West Point

Olivia Jenkins is the first female accepted into the West Point Academy from St. George pictured with her father Colonel Colby Jenkins, West Point, New York, unspecified date | Photo provided by Olivia Jenkins, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — “Disciplined” and “genuine.” The words describe Olivia Jenkins, the first woman accepted to West Point from St. George.

The first female from St. George, Olivia Jenkins will attend The United States Military Academy which was originally a fort overlooking the Hudson River 50 miles north of New York City, West Point, New York, unspecified date | Photo provided by Getty Images, St. George News

“Olivia is very kind, very warm and welcoming,” Kim Monkres, principal of Snow Canyon High School, said. “You’re immediately put at ease when you meet her. There’s nothing about her that would make anybody feel uncomfortable. She’s just happy and wants to know a lot about people that she meets. She’s genuine through and through, just a genuinely kind and thoughtful person.”

Eight women have attended West Point in the last 20 years from the 2nd Congressional District in Utah. The district encompasses Utah’s rural western and southern parts, including Salt Lake City, St. George and Tooele.

Candidates hoping to attend West Point go through a rigorous process that includes a review of the whole person, including academics, leadership, athletics, character and physical fitness, according to Tom Tolman, LTC, SC, associate director of admissions, United States Military Academy at West Point,

“In addition, each candidate must receive a congressional nomination. West Point typically receives more than ten applications for each appointment offered to make it highly selective,” Tolman said. “In addition to being immensely qualified, candidates who attend West Point have a demonstrated desire to serve their country.”

Despite a rigorous course load, Jenkins earned a 3.96-grade point average at Snow Canyon High School, including Advanced Placement and honors courses. She is an athlete and leader as demonstrated by her four varsity letters in swimming. She has held leadership positions at church and participated in the National Honor Society. Jenkins is the school’s Sterling Scholar in Social Science. She also recently became the state winner of an essay contest sponsored by the Daughters of the American Revolution.

“Olivia has earned a fully funded, prestigious four-year academic, physical, and mental education that develops personal character, leads to a Bachelor of Science, and will employ her in a respected and rewarding profession as an officer in the U.S. Army,” Tolman said. “Her decision to attend West Point will alter the trajectory of her life in ways that will benefit her and those she serves in lasting, lifelong ways.”

Jenkins’s goal is to devote the rest of her life to public service. When the principal first met her in 2020, she was registering as a new student, having moved from the San Francisco area to southern Utah.

“You ask students what their goals and plans are, sometimes they know and sometimes they don’t. But Olivia knew and said it without hesitation and with such passion that she wanted to go into a field where she could serve the public,” Monkres said.

Watching Jenkins choose her courses, it is clear she is earnest about her education. According to the principal, Oliva is setting herself up for success in the world of public service. Monkres said it illustrates Jenkin’s genuine concern for others.

“Olivia wants to help people, and she just wants to excel in everything she does,” Monkres said.

The Snow Canyon girls swim team recently placed 2nd at State, with Olivia Jenkins placing in several events, St. George, Utah, unspecified date | Photo provided by Olivia Jenkins, St. George News

Jenkins went to swimming practice at 5 a.m. with her teammates for all four years. It takes discipline and late nights and long weekends. She said her teammates motivated her to go.

“It was 100% because of my teammates, and especially towards the end of the swim season. We tried to make each other accountable and make the most of it,” Jenkins said. “And the goals for the season totally kept me going.”

Her principal said that Jenkins was a positive influence on others. The Snow Canyon girls swim team recently placed second at the state finals, with Olivia placing in several events.

“It’s just phenomenal to watch Olivia cheer her teammates on. And be sportsmanlike to other teams and congratulate them. If it’s not a race that she won, she’s the first one there to congratulate her fellow swimmers. She really cares about other people, and it comes across and all she does,” Monkres said.

Jumping into the rhythm of a new school is challenging to most students faced with moving in the middle of their high school years. But Jenkins made the most of the situation.

“Sometimes, as a new student in a high school with 1,300 kids, you might get lost in the shuffle. Olivia has immediately rolled up her sleeves and become involved in as much as she could,” Monkres said. “She’s definitely made her mark and left a lasting impression on all of us. We’re just so grateful and extremely proud of her. And just can’t wait to see how she saves the world. No pressure!”

Another endearing trait Jenkins has is reaching out to all types of students. She also supports all the different school activities, Monkres pointed out.

“She is adored by her peers. You will see her with many different kids throughout the day. I can’t say it enough, she is such a genuine person that people respond to her. They flock to her,” Monkres said.

Jenkins said she wanted to attend West Point because her father, Colonel Colby Jenkins was an inspiration to her throughout her life. He graduated from West Point in 1999.

“My dad has always been one of my biggest inspirations and role models because of his service. And that’s stuck with me through my whole life,” Jenkins said. “Then living in a lot of places, especially Washington, D.C. helped me become familiar with America and what it stands for, and its history. So, when I started deciding where I should go to college, West Point kept standing out to me. The idea of being a part of something bigger than myself was really inspiring.”

During her younger years, her father worked in the Pentagon. Her family was able to go on tours and see historic buildings in the area. She said it helped her see all the hard work that went into building up America. And even though sometimes our nation has had some weaknesses, Jenkins thinks the United States is “overall pretty amazing.”

Jenkins said many young people wonder why she would want to be a part of the military. She is positive despite current challenges in the world.

“There’s a lot of corruption sometimes or terrible things happening in the world. But this is why we need new young leaders. I think the world needs a lot of kids that are willing to be a part of a cause bigger than themselves,” Jenkins said. “It takes confidence and being selfless. I think that’s exactly where America started. I think the more people that can be reminded of that, the better future we can have for ourselves.”

When asked how she stays so positive, Jenkins said although it’s been hard, she has become resilient by starting over a few times.

“It’s definitely hard but because I’ve had to start over a lot of times in my life. I lived in four states. That constant cycle of starting over and finding myself in new places works out for the most part. I’m able to make new friends,” she said.” I think that keeps me optimistic that the challenges can come, but we can still tackle them.”

Jenkins will report to West Point on June 27. The other female West Point candidate from southern Utah is Cadet Alexis Martin, Company E2, Class of 2021. Martin graduated from Hurricane High School, and will graduate from West Point in May of 2023. She majored in kinesiology and is taking the cyber engineering sequence.

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.

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