West Point Cadet From Fairfax Invited To State Of The Union

FAIRFAX, VA—One of the guests at President Trump's Tuesday State of the Union speech will be a hometown girl that made military history. Virginia Sen. Mark Warner invited Cadet Simone Askew, a West Point leader originally from Fairfax, as his guest.

Askew became the first African-American woman to be first captain of the Corps of Cadets at West Point and oversees about 4,400 cadets. Approximately 15 percent of the Corps of Cadets are women, and Askew is the fifth woman to lead the Corps of Cadets.

"Cadet Askew has earned her place at the top among the students at West Point, showing a remarkable dedication to her studies and a deep commitment to service," said Warner in a statement. "It is an honor to help showcase her journey, which may one day inspire the next generation of women to break new barriers."

Before joining the army, Askew grew up in Fairfax County and graduated from Fairfax High School in 2014. According to the school district, she was class president, captain of the volleyball team and founder of the Black Student Union. She had been admitted to West Point and the U.S. Naval Academy and chose to attend West Point, the oldest military academy in the U.S. Now a senior at West Point, she will attend the University of Oxford in fall 2018 as a Rhodes Scholar — one of 32 Americans receiving the prestigious honor.

"At West Point, you learn that discipline goes beyond staying the course and working hard to earn your place. It involves doing what you can to give back to all those who have helped you succeed along the way,” said Askew in a statement. "While I have been humbled by the support, I can’t ignore the sacrifices made by so many others before me. I want to thank Senator Warner for inviting me as his guest, knowing that I stand on the shoulders of all those women who helped pave the way for me to be where I am today."

President Trump will address a joint session of Congress in the State of the Union speech Tuesday, Jan. 30 at 9 p.m.

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Image via U.S. Army