One Giant Leap for Fishburne Military School

Fishburne Military School (Waynesboro, VA) Cadets are going supersonic this weekend as members of the new Rocketry Club put weeks of hard work to the test in Monterey, VA. The team will be launching three rockets from the Valley AeroSpace Team’s (VAST) site in an effort to qualify for competitive launches in March.

Fishburne Science Instructor, CPT Tom Galloway (himself a rocketry enthusiast), is the team’s advisor. When he first learned of Fishburne’s new commitment to STEM education, Galloway saw a true teaching opportunity. He reached out to former colleagues (and, at times, dug deeply into his own wallet) to provide building materials, association memberships and launch-site access for his students. And, with him paving the way, Fishburne’s newest STEM activity is proving to be a springboard to success for his Cadets.

“When activities and clubs such as our Rocketry Club are actively encouraged within an environment like Fishburne’s, they tend to spread like a like a marvelous contagion,” noted Superintendent COL Gary R. Morrison (VA), “infecting our young men with curiosity and inspiring our instructors to keep the challenges coming. Clubs like this, and instructors like CPT Galloway, help Cadets develop the skills and confidence needed to pursue their scientific interests.”

As the Caissons prepare to launch their Garnet and Gold rockets this weekend, the benefits of being in this Rocketry Club are audible at times; as when Galloway, reviewing field data the class had gathered, noted that a practice launch had, indeed, gone supersonic.

“Whoooah…really?” came Cadet Craan’s response.

That’s the sound of inspiration.

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.