Rising to the Challenge

How MMA’s Military Educational Model Helps Boys Succeed

Cadet Battalion Commander Michael Machary-Pagan ’22 and Battalion Executive Officer Rene Garcia Garza ’22

DeKoven Martin ’25, Seydina Issa Diop ’25 and Miles Matthews ’25

Education at Missouri Military

Academy is not for everyone. Not every young man is ready for the challenge and opportunity, but the education MMA offers is vitally important to the development of all young men today. As educators, Academy faculty and staff face the significant challenge of educating today’s youth in a world rampant with relativism, where individuals or groups create and follow their own ethics and moral standards of right or wrong. “Our schoolchildren today are searching for direction and stability in a society filled with discord, conflict and strife — where civil discourse is hard to find and social media commentary is too often taken as truth without context or any proof of veracity,” says MMA President Brig. Gen. Richard V. Geraci, USA (Ret). “It is our responsibility to provide our young cadets with an education that prepares them mentally, physically, emotionally, socially and spiritually to become productive and responsible adults. “No school can fully prepare students for every scenario they will face in the future, but our 360° Education and military educational model teaches our cadets how to solve problems and handle challenges, to choose the harder right over the easier wrong, and to take advantage of their personal strengths and talents.”

Three Constants

MMA teachers and administrators seek the latest innovative strategies and formulate educational practices and policies to best teach cadets. As they look for effective educational trends and test out new theories, however, three elements remain undeniably essential to all cadets’ success: structure, selfdiscipline and accountability. Lessons in these elements start as soon as an MMA cadet reports to campus. Structure, self-discipline and accountability are the foundations of the military school educational model. These foundational elements often seem to run counter to societal norms yet they are the critical, indispensable elements that youths need to develop positive life and leadership skills. From day one, cadets learn how to set goals for themselves, solve problems, deal with interpersonal conflict, overcome disappointment and seize opportunities. From first haircut to receiving his uniform and room assignment, each new cadet begins to learn the importance of following the rules and upholding standards. MMA cadets move into the barracks and into an immersive, military educational experience focused on one goal: teaching boys to take command of their lives.

“I often remind cadets that they accomplish more by noon than their peers do all day,” says Commandant Col. Rick Grabowski, USMC (Ret). “They receive a daily plan of the day — the POD — that details their schedule and what is expected of them the following day. We provide structure and a clear path forward for their daily success — and ultimately their future.”

A Leadership Laboratory

MMA educates and fosters resilient young leaders of character. Through the Academy’s 360° Education® — in-person, experiential learning, leadership and character programs — MMA teaches respect for authority and respect for each other. By design, MMA is an academically rigorous, competitive environment that demands perseverance,

Motivation through Leadership Promotions Cadets work toward battalion leadership positions within four companies. The corps of cadets holds these young men accountable and challenges them with greater levels of responsibility as they rise within the ranks. The ultimate goal is to provide a fair and equitable system where those who strive for the betterment of the corps and themselves will be promoted. Those who seek minimum involvement will be passed over. Promotions are not awarded for tenure as a cadet or participation in activities. By requiring cadets to step up over time, MMA builds confidence and the motivation to succeed. No cadet sits on the sidelines.

grit, teamwork and building strong personal relationships. The MMA cadet body — the corps of cadets — is a leadership and life skills learning laboratory, dependent on peer leadership and adult mentorship. Living in this immersive environment, cadets learn to manage their time and personal affairs while dealing with complexity, diversity, adversity and change. To grow as productive citizens and future community leaders, cadets learn how to think, not what to think, encouraged to inquire and explore. The curriculum focuses on a broad liberal arts education underpinned by a clearly established honor code with standards of behavior and performance.

Benchmarks

MMA benchmarks each cadet’s progress to identify areas for improvement and recognize significant achievements and superior performance. Cadets’ achievements and growth are visibly represented in awards they can display prominently on their uniforms. They find self-worth and confidence in their individual strengths and their roles and responsibilities within the corps. Assuming leadership of their own lives and as part of the corps helps cadets reach their full potential. The Academy instills a core value: leadership as the ability to influence others in a positive manner to accomplish an assigned task. MMA continuously fosters leadership in its 360° Education environment, where competition, teamwork and achievement are part of everyday life. MMA teaches cadets to set short-term and long-term goals that they work hard to attain. Success fuels their desire to achieve more. Cadets are elevated through rank systems and awards and serve as role models for younger cadets. MMA is a culture based on achievement — one where each cadet aspires to positive goals.

Angelo Urdaneta ’25 and Adam Swenson ’25

Brayden Edwards ’27

Gabriel Canonico ’23 Nyeal Biedenstein ’22

Support for Cadet Success

At MMA, cadets become more independent and self-sufficient than their typical peers. They are held accountable, under the guidance of Academy leaders, for their own belongings, their schoolwork, their room and their character.

MMA parents may face the dichotomy of knowing that choosing MMA is a decision in their child’s best interest but feeling guilt that they aren’t there for their son every day. Social stigmas attached to military school and the self-judgment that some parents place on themselves (that they are a bad parent for sending their child away to school) exacerbate the emotional challenges. “We know that boys at this age generally want to take the path of least resistance, because they are not looking at the long term,” says MMA dad Ray Peck from Indianapolis. “Someday our sons will thank us for being their parents and not their friends and for making some tough decisions to help them grow up to be responsible, disciplined and educated men ready to take on the world.” While families adjust to the distance, cadets become immersed in a highly structured environment. Each day they receive a clear schedule and expectations to follow through the POD. From early morning reveille and physical training through the academic day and athletics to guided study hall in the evening, cadets learn self-discipline and focus. Cadets’ days and evenings are filled, spent with their MMA brothers. It’s common for parents to wonder how their cadets are, and the Academy works to keep parents well informed, with regular contact from faculty and staff.

Upholding the first element — love — of the Academy’s motto of “love, honor, truth” is visible in faculty and staff’s daily interactions with cadets.

“Teachers, staff and coaches truly understand their roles as positive role models and go above and beyond, every day, both during and after school, to make sure our cadets are cared for and reach their full potential,” says Abby Arnette, MMA assistant dean for

instruction and learning. “We are the cadets’ family as they are away from home, and our faculty and staff show these boys they understand that.”

Cadets receive care from their “second family” at the Academy as they are continually challenged. Cadets achieve when the bar is set high, and love is evident in boundaries and high expectations that provide a tough but fair framework for the boys to excel. MMA employs relational teaching to connect with cadets. This relationshipbuilding inspires them to become the best person that they can, according to Jessica Miller, MMA middle school science instructor. Taking the time to have conversations with cadets, Miller learns who they are and what motivates them, then holds them accountable for their success.

“Consistency and structure make MMA’s military education model effective,” Miller says. “I set the bar high for the cadets in my classroom. I expect them to not only reach the bar but also exceed it. I do this by being consistent with my expectations and maintaining structure throughout the class period.” Peck is satisfied that MMA delivers on its promise of structure and discipline with positive results. “Our son, who is in his second year, is a brand-new kid and is an order of magnitude more mature than he was when we dropped him off a little over a year ago,” he says. Peck knows, however, that transformation is not always easy for cadets. “My son has heard me say many times that I am not his friend. I’m his dad, and my job is to help him become a man. Sometimes what we want and what we need are two entirely different things,” he adds. Other veteran MMA parents agree. “I remind our son that we never promised that the school was going to be unicorns and rainbows,” says Jennifer Kjohlede, whose son Landon is in his third year at MMA. “No school will be perfect, but this is the best for our son. He realizes it most of the time and I know he will realize and appreciate it later. We see the tremendous improvements and character changes in him, and we try to keep him focused on that.”

We are the cadets’ family as they are away from home, and our faculty and staff show these boys they understand that.

— Abby Arnette, MMA assistant dean for instruction and learning

Gavin Roberts ’22

Every family who joins MMA enters a partnership with the Academy — a partnership to motivate, guide and educate their cadet so he perseveres to reach his full potential. Together, we will hold him accountable even when he fails to put forth his best effort or disagrees with us. It’s our job to guide him — but more importantly, to challenge him to discover his special talents, what he is passionate about, what he can achieve — and to set goals to pursue his dreams.

An Aspirational Attitude

(Excerpt of a letter to MMA President Richard Geraci from Kevin Kunst, visiting team leader for the Independent Schools Association of the Central States, after visiting MMA for accreditation review in October 2021) “We wanted to write to you directly to thank you for your service to these cadets and to your commitment to the Academy’s mission and core values. It is so very clear and palpable, and that positive energy was felt by those of us who were here in person, and impressively even by those who were only virtual. … It is abundantly clear to my team that one of the most commendable aspects of this institution is all of you. We consistently saw in you a spirit of collaboration and teamwork and an aspirational attitude … “No matter what your role at the Academy, from senior leadership to those who teach and lead the cadets, to those who cook and build and clean, we appreciate you and the hard work we were able to see and that you shared with us. We wish you the best as you go forward and encourage you to deeply pursue your motto, ‘Love, Honor, Truth.’ What a beautiful and timely set of virtues!”

From left to right, Cadet Sean Mumm ’27 with middle school science teacher Jessica Miller and Nathaniel Laughlin ’27

Robert Peck ’29, Band Director James Garrett and Gabriel Hood ’29

MMA Color Guard