Westy’s & Grad Week
Saturday, 24 May was a special day at West Point. It was the day that West Point’s Class of 2025 graduated! Come to think of it, every West Point graduation is a special day because it signifies the end of every cadet’s 47-month journey through the ups and downs of life at the United States Military Academy. Other college graduations are special in their own right, but a West Point graduation with all of its traditions and ceremonies is like no other.
Graduation day is the culmination of Graduation Week, or Grad Week for short. Grad Week is a whirlwind of events that take place throughout the week prior to graduation day, and these events become one big blur by the time graduation day rolls around. The events include drill and parades, reunion classes rolling through, Distinguished Graduate recognition ceremonies, department award presentations, “meet and greet” with the Superintendent, and a banquet to wrap things up at the end of the week, just to name a few.
Proud parents, family members, and friends arrive as early as Monday or Tuesday of Grad Week to begin the celebration. The seniors, or Firsties, are running around at a frantic pace trying to accomplish a myriad of tasks in order to be properly “released” from post. While running around, they do their best to savor the last moments with their classmates, knowing all too well that they may not see many of them for a long time.
Holly and Mark are no strangers to Grad Week. Holly and Mark celebrated Grad Week in the summer of ‘91. In fact, Holly’s dad got it all started for the family by celebrating Grad Week in the summer of ‘62! Holly’s brother, EG, celebrated Grad Week in ’94 while Holly’s sister, Marsha, celebrated Grad Week with her daughter, Allie, in 2015 and then again with her son, Cooper, in 2017. If that was not enough celebrating, Mark and Holly celebrated Grad Week with their son Keegan in 2019 and then again with their daughter, Lexi, in 2021. Hopefully, they will be celebrating with their other son, Kyle, in 2027 and their other daughter, Daisy, in 2029. Mark is extra lucky because he gets to celebrate Grad Week every year with his graduating Firsties from the Sprint football team!
Whew!! That is a lot of Grad Week celebrations!
The beauty of Grad Week is that it never gets old. The celebrations are as genuine as it gets. The happiness and excitement that exudes from the graduating Firsties and all of their family and friends is infectious. 47-months of grinding your way through West Point comes to a head during Grad Week and is released with one famous toss of the hat. It is a joy like no other. At Westy’s, we look forward to being a part of many more Grad Week celebrations for years to come!
Mark and Holly West
Owners, Westy's
