Hernando student Ellie Grehan heads to West Point

Photo: Hernando Mayor Chip Johnson, Hernando High School senior Ellie Grehan, and Mayor’s Youth Council Director Scott Smith. (Bob Bakken/desotocountynews.com) 

Key Points

• National Appointment: Hernando High School senior Ellie Grehan has accepted an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point.
• Civic Leadership: Grehan serves as the Director of Communications for the Hernando Mayor’s Youth Council and is a multi-sport athlete.
• Service Dedication: Inspired by family military history, Grehan plans to pursue a career in the Army Special Forces or as a Ranger.

HERNANDO, Miss. — While most high school seniors are spent navigating the final months of their teenage independence, Hernando High School’s Ellie Grehan is preparing for a life defined by the highest levels of discipline and duty.

Grehan recently received the call of a lifetime from Congressman Trent Kelly, who informed the local student that she has been accepted into the United States Military Academy at West Point. The appointment marks the culmination of a rigorous application process for Grehan, who has balanced her roles as a student-athlete and a civic leader in DeSoto County.

“I’ve always had it in the back of my mind that I wanted to do something with the military,” Grehan said. “I like doing things for other people. I’m really excited that I get this opportunity to serve my country and my people.”

The notification came in a characteristically military fashion. Grehan, fresh from basketball practice, received a call from an unknown Tupelo number. On the other end was Congressman Kelly—a two-star major general in the Army National Guard—who eventually FaceTimed her from his office in Washington, D.C., to share the news.

Grehan’s path to the Long Gray Line was inspired in part by her uncle, Colonel Heywood Smith, a former Air Force One pilot. His stories of service helped solidify her desire to apply during her sophomore year. Despite the intensity of the process, Grehan remained diligent, completing her application early in her junior year.

A multi-talented individual, Grehan serves as the Director of Communications for the Hernando Mayor’s Youth Council. Mayor Chip Johnson noted that Grehan’s drive was evident from their very first meeting.

“The first time I met her, she walked into my office and said she was going to West Point,” Johnson recalled. “Our mission with the Youth Council is to help students gain leadership skills, and when you become an officer, it shows you are a leader.”

On the court and the field, Grehan has been a staple of Hernando athletics, participating in basketball, cross country, and track. That athletic background proved vital during the Candidate Fitness Assessment, though she admitted that the “basketball throw” and upper-body requirements like the flexed-arm hang required extra sessions with her godfather, a local personal trainer and police officer.

In the classroom, Grehan credited the work ethic instilled at Hernando High School and the school’s PSAT and math programs for preparing her for the academic rigors of a service academy. At West Point, she will undergo Cadet Basic Training, famously known as “Beast Barracks,” this summer.

Looking beyond the four-year degree, Grehan is already eyeing a long-term commitment. Upon graduation, she will be commissioned as a second lieutenant.

“I really hope to do my 20 years in the military,” Grehan said, adding that she aims to branch into the Army Rangers or Special Forces. “I’ve just known I’ve been more disciplined and had more self-control. West Point is where I see myself growing.”