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                         April 11, 2003

Cadets named East-West, Truman winners

By Jim Fox
Assistant Editor

Five U.S. Military Academy cadets earned post-graduate scholarships recently.

Three members of the Class of 2003 and two from the Class of 2004 earned East-West Center Fellowships and Truman Scholarships, respectively.

The East-West Center at the University of Hawaii in Honolulu named Cadets 1st Class Michael Lee, Steven Hemmann and Evan Brainerd East-West Graduate Degree Fellows late last month. That makes nineteen cadets selected since 1990, when the academy started nominating cadets for that honor.

Both cadets will begin their master’s degree studies this fall.

Cadet 1st Class Michael Lee	Cadet 1st Class Steven Hemmann	Cadet 1st Class Evan Brainer

Lee, from Shaker Heights, Ohio, is an economics major, with a civil engineering track.

The 22-year-old future military intelligence officer plans to pursue East Asian Studies, focusing on the Republic of Korea.

Lee, who is actively involved in the Korean American Relations Seminar here, said he is thankful for the opportunity to pursue his academic goals in such a beautiful place and hopes to land Korea as his first duty station.

"I want to become a foreign area officer specializing in the East Asian region to promote better understanding and successful relations between the U.S. and its allies in Asia," he said.

He will attend the military intelligence officer basic course at Fort Huachuca, Ariz., in the fall of 2005, after finishing his degree at the EWC.

Hemmann, who hails from St. Louis, is an international relations major. He plans on studying politics in Hawaii, specifically on liberalization and democratization in China and on poverty and development in Southeast Asia.

He was ecstatic upon finding out he had won.

"Over the next two years I’ll have the opportunity to study and interact with students from all over Asia," the 22-year-old member of both the cadet debate and speech teams said.

Hemmann, like Lee, would like to someday be a foreign area officer in Asia.

"I hope the experience and knowledge I gain from this fellowship will definitely make me a more informed leader and diplomat," the future Infantry officer said.

Hemmann will attend the infantry officer’s basic course at Fort Benning, Ga., after he finishes his studies at the EWC.

He hopes to draw a post in Germany with the 1st Infantry Division when he completes OBC.

Brainerd, 2nd battalion commander for 4th regiment was a first alternate for the U.S. until he was notified Sunday that he was a fellow after another student declined the scholarship.

"I almost dropped the phone," Brainerd said about being notified.

The 21-year-old said he would like to be a foreign service officer in East Asia.

"The scholarship will allow me to improve my understanding of East Asian cultures and interact with future key leaders in the region," Brainerd said.

The Altadena, Calif., native is an economics and East Asian studies major. He will attend OBC at Fort Rucker, Ala., after he finishes his degree in Asian Studies at the EWC.

The East-West Center serves as a national education and research institution, according to the center’s Web site. It "works to promote better relations and understanding between the U.S. and the nations and peoples of Asia and the Pacific through cooperative study, training and research."

Seventy-six students from 63 U.S. colleges and universities were named Harry S. Truman Scholars late last month.

Twelve schools, including USMA, had two students named. Cadets 2nd Class Steven Kreeger and Joseph Wells became the 20th and 21st cadet Truman Scholars since West Point began competing in 1972.

Cadet 2nd Class Steven Kreeger	Cadet 2nd Class Joseph Wells

Kreeger, of Custer, S.D., is an American politics major who plans on using his scholarship to study public policy at Princeton’s Woodrow Wilson School of Politics sometime after he finishes his company command.

The current head manager for the Army football team is leaning towards branching Infantry.

Kreeger said he was surprised when he received a congratulatory e-mail from the superintendent, because, over spring break, some people back home told him he wasn’t selected.

His goal, he said, is to use the scholarship to help him come back to West Point and teach.

Wells, who names Brownsburg, Ind., home, is an international relations major following an environmental engineering track.

The 20-year-old plans on studying international relations at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.

Wells is excited and optimistic about his future studies. He hopes to use the scholarship to help him operate more effectively in civil-affairs and stability operations.

The Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation awards merit-based $30,000 scholarships to college students who plan to pursue careers in government or public service, and who wish to attend graduate or professional school.