Leading the Way: How West Point led Alum Maggie Mills to Law
A 2013 West Point grad and a former member of the Army West Point women’s rugby team, CPT Maggie Mills has since used her time at the Academy as a catalyst to launch the next chapter in her life.
Mills found her place at West Point in the summer of 2009 as a direct result of the history of family members who served before her, including both of her parents who served in the Army Reserves and her brother who graduated from the Academy.
“Both of my parents served in the Army Reserves and my brother went to West Point and became an Armor Officer, so the path to follow in family’s footsteps was there and I took it.”
“Both of my parents served in the Army Reserves and my brother went to West Point and became an Armor Officer, so the path to follow in family’s footsteps was there and I took it.”
Since graduating from West Point, Mills has spent her time serving the United States Military as an aviator in the Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Armored Division at Fort Bliss, and is coming towards the end of her term, but her commitment does not end there. Mills will take her efforts back to the classroom to pursue a law degree after being accepted to some of the finest law institutions in the country, including Harvard, Duke, and NYU law.
The Wisconsin natives’ interest in a career in law began at the Academy in an accidental encounter with the law and legal studies department.
“I actually stumbled upon legal studies as an accident during my time at West Point,” said Mills. “The most fascinating thing about law is its multi-disciplinary applicability… how it touches everything in our society. I promised myself I would return to it someday.”
Her studies weren’t the only thing that helped lead Mills towards her current path. A member of the women’s rugby team at the time, Mills recounts how finding her tribe allowed her to pursue and commit to excellence.
“When I joined the West Point Women’s Rugby Team as a plebe, I felt for the first time as if I had found my tribe," said Mills. “To this day, I am not sure if it was due to the intense nature of rugby as a sport or just good luck, but the team attracted players who all rode the same wavelength of commitment to excellence and fierce loyalty to friendship. I learned perseverance and personal discipline from my four years on the team and graduated with a lifelong network of exceptional female leaders and professionals. The accomplishments of this group continues to astound and motivate me, and I certainly would not be in the position I am today without their support.”
“To this day, I am not sure if it was due to the intense nature of rugby as a sport or just good luck, but the team attracted players who all rode the same wavelength of commitment to excellence and fierce loyalty to friendship."
Mills has yet to determine which type of law she would like to hone in on, however her experience with international humanitarian law at West Point has her focus in that direction. As her commitment to the Army comes to an end, Mills admitted that her ability to pursue her passions couldn’t have been possible without her time at the Academy and in the military.
“My application wouldn’t have been as strong had it not been for my time as an Army Officer,” she said. Another thing I have grown to love about my time in the service is how leaders have rooted for me and supported me – even though my dreams mean leaving the Army.”
Although each cadet’s path into the Army looks a bit different than the next, Mills hopes that her journey can help be a positive example for the current members of Army women’s rugby and the Academy in general.
“My career plans demonstrate that not all leadership paths necessarily look the same,” said Mills. “My eight years as an active-duty aviation officer have been incredibly rewarding, and perhaps apart from the stellar academic experience that West Point provided, have done the most to prepare me for a career in the law. I recommend that even a cadet planning to “five-and-fly” enters active-duty service with an open mind, if not to a full military career then to the rich opportunities for personal and professional growth that the military offers on a daily basis.”
