By Lori EhdeIt’s a rare honor for a high school graduate to be accepted at West Point Military Academy.But Tyler Scheidt not only gained entry to the prestigious military academy, he quickly climbed to the top of his class and ended up graduating with a remarkable 4.1 grade point average.The 2002 LHS grad met with friends and family Saturday night in St. Catherine Church to celebrate his West Point graduation and accomplishments.Scheidt graduated among the top 45 out of 860 students, making him an honor grad in the top 5 percent of his class.Considering the rigorous demands on West Point students (in physical, academic and military arenas), it’s a particular honor to get perfect grades in all three.His parents, Pat and Tony Scheidt, Luverne, regularly received letters from his instructors about his achievements."Tyler is one of those rare students who is always striving for perfection. His drive and extra effort to get every assignment right is a real tribute to him," stated one letter signed by two U.S. Army majors and assistant professors."In addition, Tyler is truly a great person and we’ve enjoyed getting to know him this semester. … You should be very proud of Tyler. He is a credit to himself, your family and the Military Academy. He clearly has a very bright future ahead of him."Pat Scheidt said she cried every time she received a letter. "I still cry when I read them," she said. "He’s quite a kid."She said he’s always been an acheiver, "but in a quiet, very humble way. … That’s how he’s always been."Tyler Scheidt sat in the front row with fellow honor grads during the May 27 graduation ceremony and received his diploma directly from President George W. Bush, who also shook his hand.Rewards for hard workIt didn’t take long for Scheidt’s hard work and good grades to put him in the running for additional opportunities at West Point.For example, he made first sergeant by the end of his junior year. He was the highest-ranking junior in his company of 120, which meant added responsibilities, like overseeing room standards and line formations."It gave me a chance to work with a master sergeant with 18 to 20 years of experience in my field," Scheidt said. "I was working closely with him on a daily basis."Scheidt absorbed the added duties during what was his most challenging academic year. When asked if he was tempted to let his grades slip, he said, "It just wasn’t in me to turn in an assignment that way."That same year, he received an offer to be a regimental executive officer in charge of eight companies and 1,000 people.But he turned it down to stay with his company. "They were pretty shocked when I respectfully declined," Scheidt said.Another rare opportunity for Scheidt was designing and building a pedestrian bridge near the West Point campus.He and another civil engineering cadet volunteered to do the bridge as a two-semester independent study.They worked under the guidance of faculty advisor Col. Steve Kessler, whom Scheidt deeply respected. "He’s an amazing, brilliant person with his Ph. D. in engineering," Scheidt said.They chose a "tied arch" configuration with a wooden bridge deck suspended from a pair of heavy timber arches.Scheidt admitted he’s proud of the bridge and how it turned out."It’s something that will be there for years to come," Scheidt said. "Some day we can come back to this and say, ‘This is what we did.’"In addition to these special projects and duties, Scheidt found time to be president of the Civil Engineering Club, work with Big Brothers/Big Sisters, serve on Special Olympics staff and more.Awards and accoladesDuring his four years at West Point, Scheidt racked up an impressive list of awards.oOne he’s especially proud of is the recent Gen. Schilling Award for Engineering Excellence, which is given to those who "uphold what it means to be a civil engineer and have a passion for the field."Col. Kessler’s name also appears on the plaque listing those distinguished names also earning the award, and he took Scheidt aside after the awards ceremony to show him the plaque. "That really meant a lot to me," Scheidt said.oThe MOLES award was given by the Association of Individuals Engaged in Heavy Construction to Scheidt for "having shown outstanding effort in working toward a career in construction engineering and management."oThe Dean’s List, Gold Star and Gold Star Wreath were awarded for his good grades. The Gold Star Wreath is for those who make the top 5 percent in all areas (academic, military and physical).oThe Army Physical Fitness Badge is for those who score 100 points or more in a two-mile run, two minutes of sit-ups and two minutes of pushups. Scheidt scored a total of 351 points.oHe earned the Commandant’s Award for physical excellence.oHe earned the Air Assault Badge for rappelling out of a Black Hawk helicopter.What’s nextWest Point graduates emerge as commissioned second lieutenants in the U.S. Army and serve at least five years on active duty as Army officers.This means Scheidt’s leadership training will be put to use managing troops on specialized assignments around the world. This fall, he’ll start several months of leadership training, which will include military tactics and engineering applications in combat.In March, he’ll join his first unit in Ft. Campbell, Ken., where he’ll have 40 soldiers under his command, many of whom have already served in Iraq."They’ve prepared us that the platoon will have experience, and it’s really on us to gain their respect," Scheidt said.For this reason, Scheidt said he included "Sapper School" among his West Point classes, which proves he’s met the physical demands of the military."It’s a respect earner … It physically puts you to the test," he said. "They deprive you of food and sleep and expect you to do tasks that you wouldn’t normally be able to do."When asked what would have happened if he’d failed that course, he said, "Failure just wasn’t an option."After leadership training, West Point graduates have a five-year obligation for active duty, and three years of reserve time.Scheidt said if he chooses to serve those three reserve years as active duty, the military will pay for his master’s degree.But he doesn’t have to decide that yet.For the time being, he gets 60 days off. Most West Point grads get 30 days, but because of his academic standing, he gets 60 days off.This week, he’s in Las Vegas reconnecting with friends.Failure is not an optionScheidt said he’s always enjoyed setting and achieving new personal goals – both physically and academically.West Point, for him, was the perfect challenge."Anyone at West Point has the potential to do really well and to do great things," Scheidt said."I went there for the challenge."How can others be so successful with their endeavors?"It’s a mindset. You realize you can get huge results if you set your mind to it," he said."I’ve just been able to keep at it and do my best. I’ve never been one to turn in anything but my best work."Scheidt said successful people manage their time well."That’s one of the things about West Point," he said. "It’s all about managing time and being able to focus time and effort where they need to be."He said it helped that West Point has the second-best academic program in the nation for civil engineering."That’s exactly what I wanted to do," Scheidt said. "When you have a passion for something, that makes it worth doing. … I spent hours and hours on my engineering projects."If his military, physical and academic excellence were impressive to his West Point colleagues, his accomplishments were especially impressive to his proud family.During a recent visit with his grandfather, Donald Schutz, Adrian, Scheidt recalled saying, "I still feel like Tyler."‘Best of the best’West Point Academy was established in New York’s Hudson Valley in 1802 to train military leaders for the Army. Its "long gray line" of graduates includes generals, presidents and leaders of industry, medicine and government.Only the brightest and best of United States high school students gain entry to the academy.West Point applicants don’t follow the same admissions process most colleges require. Potential enrollees are screened through Congress, which nominates students for further consideration.Scheidt’s successful interviews, plus his class rank (No. 3 out of 106 in Luverne), earned him four military service nominations.Scheidt received West Point nominations from Rep. Mark Kennedy and Sen. Mark Dayton. He also received nominations for the Air Force Academy from Kennedy and from Sen. Paul Wellstone.In 2002 when Tyler applied, 10,890 students applied to Congress, and 3,994 were nominated. Of those who were nominated, 2,321 qualified for West Point physically and academically.When it was all said and done, 993 men (including Scheidt) and 195 women gained admittance and 860 ended up graduating.Scheidt is reportedly the only Luverne High School student to graduate from West Point. Magnolia High School graduate Keith Oldre completed West Point in 1984.