Attending Culver Academies Was One of the Best Decisions of My Life

I Fell in Love with the Architecture, the Student Community and the Atmosphere

My name is Albert Lu, a senior at Culver Military Academy. I first learned about boarding schools in eighth grade. My parents and I were searching for a place for me to attend high school, and I discovered Culver Academies, only an hour from my home in Granger, Indiana. I toured campus and fell in love with the architecture, the student community and the general atmosphere of an elite leadership-focused boarding school. I decided to enroll, and it was one of the best decisions I’ve made in my life.  

But even after being here for four years, there are still challenges that I face. Culver is an exciting place, yet (especially for new students) all the opportunities can easily be overwhelming. Here are three tips that I’ve learned from my time as a student, so that you’re prepared for Culver or any boarding school. 

1. Try new things

I’m the men’s epee captain of the fencing team. If you don’t know what that means, don’t worry. During the winter of my freshman year, I didn’t know either. I grew up playing baseball and soccer, but neither of those sports really “fit” me, so I was searching for something physical to do during the winter season. Then, one of the upperclassmen in my unit mentioned fencing as something I could try. I headed over to the gym during tryouts and fell in love with the sport. Now, I’ve fenced for four years, attended varsity competitions across the Midwest, and plan to continue fencing in college.  

On top of the hundreds of classes available, there are an unbelievable number of opportunities at Culver. Many students arrive with a general idea of what they’re going to participate in. The beauty of Culver is that while you can go in knowing what sport you’re doing in the afternoon or what club you’ll do in the evening, there are so many ways to branch out beyond what you’re familiar with. Maybe you’ll find a talent for Quiz Bowl competitions or learn to write news articles in the student newspaper. Every door is open to you at Culver.  

2. Talk to people

This might seem self-explanatory, but one of the most important things I’ve learned here is the importance of taking the initiative to talk to new people. Culver students come from 42 states and 25 countries, each with myriad interests. In my unit alone, I’ve met students from China, Saudi Arabia and South Africa. I’ve had conversations about topics I’ve never considered before, and those conversations have made me a more thoughtful person. Culver will place you in a community that’s bigger and more diverse than anything most students have experienced before. The fastest way to feel at home, and the fastest way to grow, is to lean into that. 

Here are a few practical ways to talk to people (especially when you’re new and everything feels intense): 

• Start small and be consistent. Say “hi” to people every day, in your hallway and your dorm or unit, at your table during meals and to your teammates.  

• Use the first weeks on purpose. Everyone is looking for friends then. Introduce yourself early and often. 

• Talk to adults, too. Your unit staff, coaches, instructors and advisors will help you navigate your boarding school experience

3. Don’t be afraid to fail

As a new cadet in my freshman year, I got roughly 30 infractions the first time my uniform was inspected. Quite literally every category was “gigged,” from the alignment of the nametag to the abundance of loose threads that my Operations Sergeant made sure to individually identify. During the final week of the new cadet process, I didn’t get a single uniform gig.  

That change didn’t happen because I magically became better overnight; it happened because Culver is designed to teach you through repetition. You mess up, you get corrected, you adjust and you improve. Failing isn’t a problem. The only problem is when you take failure personally and let it convince you that you don’t belong here. 

At Culver, you’re going to fail in small ways all the time: a quiz you didn’t study enough for, a practice where nothing clicks, a room inspection that doesn’t go your way, a leadership moment that feels awkward. That’s normal, especially at the beginning. And it’s part of the experience. If you come to Culver expecting yourself to be perfect on day one, you’ll feel constantly behind. But if you come expecting to learn, and willing to fail, you’ll realize Culver isn’t trying to catch you doing things wrong. It’s trying to train you into someone stronger, more mature and more confident. And one day, you’ll look back and realize you did what felt impossible at the start, because you kept showing up after you failed. 

Culver has become my second home. Though I’ll be graduating in less than a hundred days (still a crazy thought to think about), I will always remember my Culver days as the four years where I grew into a mature young adult. Coming here was one of the best decisions I’ve made, and I hope you choose the same.