Carmel native is West Point class president

By GARRETT BERGQUIST
WISH-TV | wishtv.com

Katherine LaReau never thought she would attend West Point.

The Guerin Catholic High School graduate said she was planning on attending Purdue University until she saw a presentation by West Point cadets.

“They talked about service and leadership and character, and I was very attracted to this unique college experience,” she said. “It was unlike anything I’d ever seen before, and so I became very interested in West Point. I read more about it and couldn’t give up the dream.”

LaReau entered West Point in the fall of 2021 and majored in chemical engineering. During that time, she researched energy storage using graphene-based electrodes.

“We looked at the molecular interactions that were happening within the graphene and we found that those interactions helped to make lighter-weight materials for batteries in the Army,” she said.

She said her research could help lead to batteries with both higher capacity and lighter weight for soldiers to use in the field. According to the U.S. Army, soldiers currently carry nearly 21 pounds of batteries for a 72-hour mission.

On May 24, she and 1,001 other cadets graduated and were commissioned as second lieutenants in the U.S. Army. The United States Military Academy’s class of 2025 includes four Rhodes Scholars, 513 Air Assault School graduates, 70 Airborne School graduates, 41 honors graduates, and the first two female West Point cadets to pass the Special Forces Combat Diver Qualification Course.

Those cadets elected LaReau their class president at the end of their second year.

“I just feel so honored to be surrounded by such incredible individuals who excel in many different areas,” she said.” It’s just truly special to be surrounded by America’s best and it’s an honor to serve as their president.”

LaReau’s achievements haven’t stopped. This spring, she was selected for the Barry Scholarship, an academic scholarship that provides a full ride to American students studying at Oxford University. LaReau said she will be one of 14 incoming Barry Scholars at Oxford. She said Oxford’s energy program takes a more holistic approach, and she looks forward to taking advantage of it.

“Chemical engineering at West Point really sparked my interest on energy as a whole and how it fuels and changes society and helps fuel war, so I’m really hoping to learn more about the broader story of energy,” she said.

Once she completes her studies, LaReau said she wants to work in the Army’s human resources components and potentially serve as a Congressional liaison. She said she also wants to continue researching solutions for the Army’s energy needs.

LaReau said if you’re interested in attending West Point, you should get involved in leadership classes early on. She said she also strongly recommends playing a sport in college, as most of her classmates were varsity athletes. For example, LaReau said she was on Guerin Catholic’s volleyball and cross-country teams and participated in 4-H.

This story was originally published by WISH-TV at wishtv.com/news/local-news/lareau-west-point-class-president.