Fishburne Kicks off Summer Session 2015
Over 100 Cadets reported this weekend for Fishburne Military School’s Summer Session 2015
Just over 100 young men reported to Fishburne Military School this weekend for a five-week summer session that is sure to be unlike any Summer School they’ve attended before. Representing 17 different states and four foreign nations, the Cadets at Summer Session 2015 are as diverse a group as one is likely to see in any program. While a great many of the young men hail from Virginia, the Commonwealth accounts for fewer than 50% of the student population. Following behind Virginia’s 42 cadets, Maryland contributed the second highest number of students (18) followed by New York (6) and Florida (5). Of those reporting to Summer Session 2015, just thirty-four are returning Cadets.
Fishburne Military School’s Superintendent, COL Gary Morrison (VA), FMS Class of 1981 noted, “This is a tremendous group of young men, most of whom are experiencing FMS for the first time. Summer Session is a great opportunity to reach out to families who may be considering FMS for the Fall Session, but want to give their sons extra time to prepare. We’re looking forward to a terrific five weeks together, and we’re expecting a good number of these new young men to return in the Fall.”
The Fishburne Summer Session is one of only four programs in the United States that offers Army JROTC credit. “Some of the our Summer Cadets,” 
explains Morrison, “come in order to get ahead, or catch up in their Leadership Training with JROTC. It’s not like your ordinary summer school, where everyone has their head down because they’ve failed something and are now missing out on vacation. Sure, some young men are here doing remedial work, but this program, as a whole, is something entirely different. Fishburne’s Summer Session is a place where young men come to get ahead, to sharpen their leadership skills and rise through the JROTC ranks.”
Even those who are here to do academic “repair work” participate in JROTC training and activities such as rappelling, orienteering and more. Drill and Ceremony come standard with the military program at FMS and the gaggle of mop-topped boys who reported on Saturday will soon be marching sharply as a unit and reveling in their new-found self discipline in time for the Summer Session graduation ceremony.
In addition to a full slate of academics and JROTC, Fishburne’s Summer Session offers sports camps for soccer, basketball, golf, football, tennis, wrestling, martial arts, marksmanship and strength & conditioning. On Wednesday afternoons, cadets participate in an adventure or confidence building activity such as rappelling, orienteering, or building a one-rope bridge. On Friday afternoons Summer School cadets receive additional cadet and military training until 5:30 p.m.
“We, as a unit,” offers Morrison, “have a lot of things to accomplish each summer, and being able to guide these young men through a robust, demanding, and yet compressed schedule is something that’s truly satisfying for the staff and faculty. They work constantly to ensure that these five weeks are as rewarding and enjoyable as possible for each of our Summer Session students.”
Fishburne Military School is the oldest and smallest of all military schools for boys in Virginia. Its college-prep curriculum is built upon the structure of an Army JROTC program. Boasting a 100% college-acceptance rate for the past 10 consecutive years, FMS has also been designated as a JROTC Honor Unit with Distinction and may nominate qualified candidates to the United States Service Academics. Fishburne hosts one of only four Summer JROTC programs in the nation, accredited by US Army Cadet Command. For more information visit www.fishburne.org.
