Greensboro Reporter

Josh Scovens, valedictorian of The Middle College at NC A&T, had his choice of colleges to attend.

Ultimately, he decided to give back to his country by choosing to attend the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

“(My parents) just instilled in me, you have to be disciplined to get what you want out of life, and you have to make sacrifices,” Scovens told WFMY News 2.

During a campus visit to West Point, he said it just felt like home, like an opportunity to build on the discipline he has been practicing most of his life.

“Just waking up in the morning to go work out and staying up late at night to do papers, homework and studying is hard. It takes a lot of discipline,” Scovens told WFMY News 2.

Scovens also played basketball for Page High School, along with three Amateur Athletic Union teams.

Four years of military school and service as a commissioned officer should be a good steppingstone toward what he wants to do later in life, he said. 

Looking further into the future, Scovens said he wants to be a pediatrician. He said he has been inspired by other family members who work in the medical field, such as his mother, who is a nurse, and an uncle who is a doctor.

“It just runs in my family,” Scovens said, according to WFMY News 2.

He credits attending Middle College at NC A&T with making a big difference in his life, as it provided an atmosphere where students could bond.

In the long run, he feels pursuing a job in the medical field is right for him. “Honestly, something in my heart tells me I want to be a pediatrician, and biology is just the way to go."