From Cheshire Academy Postgrad to West Point and Beyond

By Ben Vasta PG’16

Starting at Cheshire Academy, I’m grateful for all the connections I made with instructors, staff, and students in one short year that I still stay in contact with today. At CA, I learned the value of consistency. Consistent effort in all things compounds into many great things. Whether that’s studying or doing homework or showing up with consistent effort in the sports arena. Another significant thing I experienced was patience. Being patient and trusting the process, especially as a postgraduate student, that the next opportunity after CA would present itself. Trusting in the support system of mentors, counselors, coaches, and staff that they had my best interests in mind. I’m still grateful for everyone during my time at CA, and it directly helped open an opportunity for me to attend West Point. 

At West Point, I was just a little older and maybe a little wiser than most of my other classmates because of the PG year at Cheshire. This provided me with a level of maturity that helped me understand the problems I faced as a cadet with a different perspective and helped me solve those problems with less stress and more confidence. During my time at West Point, I started all four years on the Men’s Rugby team. That provided me the opportunity to compete at the highest level of collegiate rugby in the country, and travel to many places across the country and globe to play. On one occasion, we traveled and played at the University of Oxford and the Royal Military Academy in England.  

I majored in Engineering Management with a focus in Environmental Engineering. This major was a STEM track, so I had the pleasure of taking linear algebra, advanced physics, and statistics for engineers, which humbled me every day. I still think about my struggles in those classes. Throughout my time at West Point, I had my ups and downs like any cadet. Early on, I struggled to adapt to the academic load that I was responsible for and balancing playing college sports. I found out very quickly that I couldn’t graduate on my own. So I built my own systems to succeed. Asking for help, especially from my professors who would sit down with me individually to tutor me and were happy to help me. This was huge for me. Without that support and extra help, I would not have graduated.  

In June of 2020, I graduated from West Point and was commissioned as a 2LT in the Army as an Armor Officer. After that, I spent some time at West Point as a graduate assistant for the athletic department, then I moved down to Fort Benning, GA, for 14 months of military training. I graduated from Ranger and Airborne School during my time there as well as a few other schools that would prepare me to be a Scout Platoon Leader. After leaving Georgia, I headed to Anchorage, AK. There I was stationed at Fort Richardson, mostly known as Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. I was part of the 11th Airborne Division and held a few positions there. I’m most proud of my time as Scout Platoon Leader in 1st of the 40th Cavalry Squadron, which was a battalion-sized unit in the division. I led and was responsible for the training and development of 24 Scout Army Paratroopers. My fondest memory of that time was training with the Indian Army with my Platoon in the Himalayan mountains about 50 miles south of the Chinese border. I think it is the second coolest place on Earth, right behind Alaska.  

In Alaska, I met my wife, Taylor, who was also in the Army. She was also a Scout Platoon Leader. One of the first female combat army officers in our squadron. In May of 2025, we both separated from the Army and moved to New York. And last July, we welcomed our first child, Ford. I started working in New York City as a Joint Reconstruction Sales Representative for Zimmer Biomet. As of this May, we moved to East Seattle. I accepted a promotion to Robotics Clinical Senior Sales Representative for Zimmer. My wife is originally from Montana, so we’ve always intended to get back to the Pacific northwest.  

My work is fulfilling, and I’m grateful that I have a direct impact on providing knowledge, implants, and technology that help so many people with knee, hip, and shoulder pain.  

To this day, I have kept mostly in contact with Seyoum S. from CA. I have a first seat to see him succeed at Richmond and now going on to serve the country as an agent with the Department of State. His drive and work ethic have always impressed me.