A Pella High School senior who has announced his intention to compete with the U.S. Army in college has been selected to join an elite academy. Jackson Van Kley was nominated by both Senators Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst for the United States Military Academy at West Point. Van Kley announced his commitment to the program earlier this fall and was recognized at this week’s senior awards ceremony by Sergeant First Class Matt Trout with the Iowa Army National Guard. Van Kley is receiving the 2024 West Point Military Academy Cadet Scholarship.

“I had the privilege to meet Jackson about three-and-a-half years ago when he was a young freshman. I was able to watch him grow up into the man he is today. Jackson has always been a team player and makes a great impact on his fellow peers. He is a meticulous, disciplined and highly motived team player. Jackson is humble, driven, and smart,” Trout said. “He helps others in any activities he is part of, and those leadership qualities exhibit the Be, Know, Do characteristics of what a true Army leader should be. Jackson is an aggressive, hard worker, who demonstrates a high degree of discipline in all aspects of his life and most certainly has the potential to receive a Regular Army Commission following completion of the Academy.”

In Jackson’s class, more than 12,000 applications were submitted from across the nation. His incoming class is comprised of more than 1,220 U.S. citizens and 13 international students who will report to the academy this summer. Jackson is a three-time state qualifying wrestler for the Dutch and will wrestle collegiately. Van Kley joins 2021 Pella graduate Tony Schmitz as local students recently accepted to West Point.