A Panorama senior has recently been accepted to the United States Military Academy at West Point.

After receiving nominations from Senator Joni Ernst and his commander at the Iowa National Guard, Linden resident Luke South will now join the class of 2024. South says attending a military academy has been a dream of his since the 2nd grade when he saw a football game between the Army and the Air Force. South has shown a strong work ethic, attending National Guard basic training last summer, and besides academics he’s active in many sports, is president of Panorama’s National Honor Society chapter, and vice president of the Iowa Technology Student Association.

After graduating from West Point, South says he plans on furthering his career as a captain in the army, and eventually working for the CIA, “I’m a hands-on guy, I like to go out and do stuff so I feel like if I was an agent for the CIA it would include hands-on, like going out and doing stuff as well as intellectual work so I think it would be good for me.”

South thanks his family, friends, and the West Point faculty and alumni for their help in applying to the school. He adds that his biggest supporter has been his former head football coach and neighbor, Lyle Alumbaugh.