What West Point Means To Me – Bob Ivany

Although West Point’s impact on me has been significant, it is challenging to describe. It has blessed me with lifelong friends, given me a persistent reminder to do my duty, provided me with a moral compass and inspired in me a desire to keep learning. This is how I would describe West Point’s impact on me.
When faced with a challenging decision throughout my life, I relied on my conscience to guide me. I would ask myself: what is the “right” thing to do? And what was “right” was formed, in large part, by West Point. When I had the courage to do the “right” thing, the result was always beneficial.
In addition to doing the “right thing”, West Point impressed upon me to do my best in whatever I was doing and to do so with a sense of caring about those I was responsible for such as my family, soldiers or students.
I developed a passion to keep learning. I realized that the world around me was changing and that I better continue to read, write and teach if I wanted to remain relevant.
It is ironic that after graduating I returned to teach cadets history and now, I return periodically to West Point to teach rising corporate leaders at the Thayer Hotel.
At this point in my life, I feel very fortunate to have had that compass in my back pocket and true friends whom I will cherish to the end.