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From www.FirstCommand.com

Preparing for Success

Retired Navy commander David Bailey remembers the day he got his rejection letter from the U. S. Naval Academy.

“It’s a feeling I’ve never forgotten,” Bailey said. “It’s like you’ve been kicked in the stomach. I’ll never forget the first few words: ‘We regret to inform you . . . .’”

Bailey said that for days he walked around in a state of shock. His didn’t want to speak to anyone, and he had all but lost hope. He felt his dream of attending the academy had been shattered at his feet.

But that wasn’t the end of the dream for Bailey. He did graduate from the Naval Academy, and he ended up teaching there as well. Today, Bailey is head of the Greystone Preparatory School in Kerrville, Texas, where he offers a second chance to students who have been rejected by the military academies of their choice.

“The first day my students get here, they are basically a pile of ash,” said Bailey, who founded the school in 2004. “They’ve been told they’re not smart enough, good enough or strong enough, and although I want them to remember that feeling as a motivator, I tell them that what has happened is in the past and to leave it there.”

Not another high school
Greystone, located on the campus of Schreiner University, is not like other military academy preparatory schools. Bailey said it is not “another year of high school.”

Bailey researched and met with 122 colleges before he and Schreiner University decided to team up together.

“I wanted to give students what I didn’t have in prep school - a backup plan,” Bailey said. “I didn’t want them to feel as if they’ve given up another year of their lives if they were rejected again. These kids need something more for their future.”

The backup plan that Bailey speaks of? College. While students attend the Greystone preparatory program, they also must attend 18 college course hours at Schreiner, in addition to playing on a junior varsity or varsity sports team. They must also attend nightly four-hour study halls and have regular room inspections. Most importantly, Bailey said, they are required to go above and beyond what’s expected of them by volunteering as a Big Brother or Big Sister, donating time and energy to Habitat for Humanity or some other local charity.

“These kids are willing to work themselves to the bone for the chance to attend a military academy,” Bailey said. “What’s more, they’re willing to give up a year of their lives to do so. I wanted more for them, which is why I founded the school. This way, there’s no time lost. They’ve accomplished their freshman year of college, too.”

The competitive edge
Bailey said he is dedicated to giving Greystone students a competitive edge - an edge that he found lacking in his own traditional prep school experience.

“We got up, we worked out if we wanted, and there were some pool tables,” Bailey said. “You really had to dig deep within yourself to find whatever it was to put you ahead of the pack.”

As part of his curriculum, Bailey has introduced what he calls the “family unit.” Just as important as the athletic or academic aspect of his program is the support system.

“You can’t really survive the academies unless you form a support unit and work as a team,” Bailey said. “That’s just what it’s all about. I don’t want them to get to one of the academies and be completely shocked about what it takes to survive. Whether it’s your first time to go through the academy or you’re in it for the second or even third year, you continually need that support.”

Emily Cox knows all too well the importance of the support network at Greystone. She is a junior in the program, making her fourth attempt to be accepted into the Naval Academy.

“It really helps to have someone there to help you get back on your feet and start trying again,” Cox said. “I never quit anything, but it helps to have someone there to help pick you back up and give you the courage you need to move forward with a plan.”

Off to a successful start
In 2004, five of the six students in Greystone’s first graduating class were all placed in military academies. One of those students is William Israel, whose mother Jane said that the difference she saw in her son was almost immeasurable.

“I couldn’t believe the difference in who my son was from the time he started at Greystone until he came home at Christmas,” Jane said. “I thought: who is this person? And that was a good thing.”

As for Cox, she plans to stick to her dream of one day being accepted into the Naval Academy.

“That’s what I’ve learned here at Greystone,” Cox said. “You give 110 percent and give everything of yourself. You’ll eventually reach that goal.”

David Bailey is a current client of First Command Financial Planning, Inc. (Member SIPC).