VALLEY CITY, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – Allysen Mathias, a junior at Valley City High School, was chosen to attend SLE (The Summer Leaders Experience) at West Point this summer. Their selection process is highly competitive, with over 6,000 applicants competing for just 1,000 slots annually.

SLE gives high school juniors a one-week immersive experience as a cadet at the US Military Academy in New York to inform their college selection decision. SLE is a fast-paced program consisting of academic classes, military training, physical fitness training, and intramural athletics. SLE sessions are held during the first two weeks of June each year. She will be attending June 1-7, 2019.

She will choose from a variety of courses in different academic areas, such as Science, Mathematics, Engineering, Humanities, Modern Languages, and Psychology. Allysen will also take part in daily military training including: Physical Training, Weapons Familiarization, Obstacle Courses, and Leadership Reaction Course.

Allysen has hopes of being granted an appointment to West Point following graduation in 2020 from VCHS. She is the oldest daughter of Dawn and Ryan Mathias. Her grandparents are Stan and Angeline Mathias of Casselton, ND and Don and Eunice Zimprich of Cooperstown, ND.