Gould Senior Jasper Wills of Newry, Maine, Appointed to West Point

Gould Academy senior Jasper Wills has received an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point, one of the nation’s most selective service academies.

Admission to West Point requires a Congressional nomination and a rigorous application process that evaluates academic achievement, leadership, athleticism, and character. According to the academy, of the 13,000 applicants, fewer than 10% are offered admission each year. For his West Point application, Jasper received three letters of recommendation from U.S. Senators Angus King and Susan Collins and U.S. Representative Jared Golden. This year, only three students from Maine were selected.

For Jasper, the appointment reflects a recent interest in leadership, service, and government. Through Gould’s Geiger Scholarship, which supports Senior Four Point capstone projects, Jasper was able to attend the United States Naval Academy Summer Seminar, a highly selective program intended to be an introduction to life at a service academy for prospective applicants. This experience, along with attending Dirigo Boys State, a mock government and leadership program at Colby College, confirmed his interest in pursuing military service and leadership after high school.

I want to be a morally strong leader of character. Above that, I'm very interested in serving the country and honorably advocating for people. – Jasper Wills ’26

“I realized I want to be a morally strong leader of character,” said Jasper. “Above that, I'm very interested in serving the country and honorably advocating for people. It’s not necessarily my dream to [eventually] work in politics, but it's something I’m drawn to, because I think it would be rewarding.”

At Gould, Jasper has balanced his academic pursuits with athletics and the arts. He’s a member of the golf team in the fall, an alpine ski racer in Gould’s Competition Program, and plays Varsity Baseball in the Spring. He played trombone during his years at Gould with the Mahoosuc Community Band.

Jasper acknowledges that his time at Gould Academy was beneficial in preparing him for this moment.

“The structure that Gould offers [helped me]. I like being scheduled at all times of the day. And for it to be purposeful work. That was something I cared deeply about when applying to college,” says Jasper. “The opportunities that Gould provided were important. I got to study in France for a semester, and all of the Four Points. [Gould students] can achieve anything they want if they’re willing to put in the effort and take advantage of the opportunities.”

---

During Gould’s 190th Commencement exercises, Senior West Point Admission Coordinator Christopher Casey (West Point Class of 1985) was on hand to present Jasper with his official Certificate of Appointment.

“Every [West Point] cadet memorizes the following words. Over time, they came to mean more to me than anything else other than my classmates there,” said Mr. Casey, invoking the words of General Douglas MacArthur’s farewell address. “‘Duty, Honor, Country. Those three hallowed words reverently dictate what you ought to be, what you can be, what you will be. They are your rallying points: to build courage when courage seems to fail; to regain faith when there seems to be little cause for faith; to create hope when hope becomes forlorn.’”

Mr. Casey then called Jasper to the stage to formally recognize his commitment.

“I’d like to introduce an outstanding American in the Class of 2026 here at Gould, who is stepping up to accept the challenges inherent in a West Point appointment. Jasper Wills is one of those rare individuals who has accepted a path to West Point. In recognition of Jasper’s character, intelligence, drive, leadership, and craziness to want to accept this, he was offered and has accepted an appointment to West Point. That is the equivalent of a four-year scholarship in excess of $400,000. Trust me, he will earn it.”

Jasper will depart for West Point and “Beast Barracks,” officially known as Cadet Basic Training, on June 29. He will be a member of the Class of 2030. As Christopher Casey stated to Jasper as he stood on stage at Commencement, “You will remember that date forever.”