Cadet Olivia Raykhman admitted that in the past, when she thought of the military, “I just pictured a man with a gun; now, I realize it’s so much more than that.”  

Raykhman, who grew up in Manhattan Beach, is the first woman from her community to attend the United States Military Academy (USMA), situated in West Point, New York, regarded as one of the most prestigious service academies in the country. 

“I’m always going to feel like I am paving a path for the women that are going to come after me,” Raykhman told the Brooklyn Eagle. “Even though so many women leaders have come before me.” 

USMA/West Point was initially founded by President Thomas Jefferson to train officers for the rapidly expanding army. More than 80,000 men and women have graduated from the academy since its inception in 1802. Every year, approximately 10,000 students start the application process, but only a little over 1,000 are admitted.