Marcos Arroyo

Classroom

As a Cadet at the U.S. Military Academy, Marcos Arroyo has excelled in the classroom with a 3.687 cumulative grade-point average and ranks 48th out of 1,043 in his class as a physics major. For three consecutive years, he received the Superintendent’s Award for Excellence, which is given to the top-five percent of a class in academic, military and physical pillars. He also earned the Distinguished Cadet Award, which is awarded to a Cadet who achieved no less than an A- average in all academic, military and physical classes for at least an academic year. Additionally, he was a Patriot League Academic Honor Roll selection every season at West Point.

Arroyo’s strengths far exceed the soccer field as upon graduation, he hopes to pursue his master’s degree in public policy before his service time commences. In the classroom, he has spent a large majority of his time doing research on fundamental aspects of perpetuated poverty and the widening poverty gap as he looks to devote his life to helping others. His devotion to helping others led him to be selected to represent the Academy at the McDonald’s Conference for Leaders of Character, where scholars from schools all around the world come together to discuss leadership in finding ways to tackle the world’s problems at the most fundamental levels of people. He also was an Internal Representative for the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, where he assisted the vice president in internal affairs.

Character

Arroyo has truly exemplified what it takes and means to be leader during his time at West Point. As a Cadet Deputy Brigade Commander for the United States Corps of Cadets, he is second in command in leading over 4,400 cadets through the academic year, facilitating the training in all three pillars of the West Point leader development. Additionally, he was a Cadet Regimental Commander, a position in which he was responsible for leading 1,243 new Cadets coming to West Point and developing them into soldiers of character that are committed to military service. Since the summer of 2015, he was selected out of 1,067 Cadets to be the President of the United States Military Academy Class of 2018. Arroyo was given the George C. Marshall Leadership Award, which is awarded to the top Reserve Officer Training Corps and West Point Cadets in the U.S. who have demonstrated exceptional leadership, scholarship, physical fitness and community involvement. Along with being named a co-captain of the Army West Point men’s soccer team for his senior season, Arroyo has also served as a Platoon Sergeant for the U.S. Military Academy and as a co-chair for the West Point Elevation Initiative that helps expand and invite the program’s initiative towards championing adversity and pushing minority cadets into key leadership positions.

Community

Arroyo has taken advantage of several opportunities within the community during his time at the U.S. Military Academy. He has volunteered at several youth soccer clinics for children between the ages of 6-14. While working with children, he participated in two Boy Scout jamborees where he volunteered to bring equipment and spend time teaching children the fundamentals of soccer. He was also involved in the West Point Special Olympics in May of 2017. Along with his time spent aiding others within the community, he has also assisted his fellow Cadets, serving as an Academy Tutor for chemistry and organizing a brigade-wide chemistry tutor session.

Competition

On the soccer pitch, Arroyo came to West Point and made nine starts in his first year before going on to start every single game for the Black Knights over the course of his sophomore, junior and senior campaigns. He has been a key cog for the Black Knights during his time as a defensive midfielder. Despite being defensive-minded, he has also excelled at finding his teammates for scores as he dished out four assists and was named Third Team All-Patriot League during his junior season.