FMS家长卡拉·罗斯在家长军事周末分享内部经验

卡拉·罗斯， 在fishburn军事学校的PMW 2022上交付

各位老师、教职员、来宾、学员，最重要的是，家长们，大家早上好. 

我很荣幸今天能在这里向大家讲话. It is also a bit surreal that I am the person sharing my thoughts about this very special place that has truly become a second home to me. 11 years ago I became “Mama Ross” to countless 学员 和 that title has stuck with me ever since – there is no better feeling than driving up the hill 和 hearing “Mama Ross” being yelled from the barrack windows. 如果你还没学过这个, 你很快就会知道了——一旦你成为FMS的家长, 您是许多男孩的父母，他们在任何一天都需要您. 参观的时候开你最大的车, 准备在沃尔玛花一大笔钱吧, 和 make sure you call ahead to The Outback to let them know you will be needing several tables 和 maybe even an entire room. I have attended many Parent Military 周末 as far back as 2011 when my oldest was here. I have put a lot of thought into what to say to you all about the significance of the weekend for your 学员, 不管他们是老人还是白嘴鸦. 

The Rooks have made it through a tough training period both mentally 和 physically, 现在将被认为是老人. 当一名白嘴鸦并不容易，就像我被告知的那样，这是不应该的. The physical training is strenuous, as is memorizing the infamous “Rook Book.” On top of it all, they have a full academic course load 和 are expected to excel. 他们被迫意识到自己的能力, 并为成为老人所需要承担的一切负责. 这个周末我最喜欢的部分就是看到他们重新找回自信, 强度, 并为他们所取得的成就感到自豪. 最重要的是，他们现在是兄弟会的一员. 父母, be proud of your sons 和 ask yourselves what their peers from home have been doing over the last 6 weeks – certainly NOT what a 费什伯恩 Rook has. 祝贺你们所有人成为老人. 罗斯妈妈为你们每一个人感到高兴! 

老人们也一直在努力工作. Your sons have been leading the Corps in many ways – not just those in leadership positions, 但是所有的人. 虽然他们不必忍受像白嘴鸦队那样艰苦的训练, their jobs are equally challenging in that they are responsible for ensuring the success 和 强度 of the Corps. These Old Men are still just teenagers 和 yet in many cases their leadership is more effective than that of adults sometimes. 他们带头帮助有需要的年轻学员, 无论是家庭作业, 教他们如何铺床或穿制服, 或者给挣扎的人一句鼓励的话. They lead by being respectful to faculty 和 staff 和 by working to set an example we all can be proud of. 

最重要的是, they lead by mentoring the future leaders of 费什伯恩 – there is no job more important than this. 老人们，谢谢你们，继续努力，罗斯妈妈也为你们感到骄傲. 父母们，你们也要为自己感到骄傲! 我们都做了一个艰难的决定送我们的儿子去万豪会娱乐在线, 我们继续做出牺牲，让他们留在这里. 最大的牺牲是把我们的儿子在这么小的时候送走. I would venture to say that we all have shed tears driving down the hill after leaving them. Some of us have picked up a second job, or have dipped into savings 和 retirement accounts. 其他人则决定放弃度假或新车. There probably is not a parent in the crowd who has not had to 牺牲 something so that your sons can have an education like no other. 

我们中的许多人都面临过来自朋友的评判, 家庭, 还有同事们，谢谢你们决定送我们的儿子去军校. “他这么年轻，你怎么能把他送走??” “Why would you spend so much money when there are good schools that cost nothing?“他不是个坏孩子，你为什么要送他去军校呢??” or the best one, “their son is in a military school, I wonder what he did wrong.” So we try to describe the advantages 和 uniqueness of a 费什伯恩 education in an attempt to justify our decision; but I have come to learn that there is no way to fully illustrate to an outsider how this little school is a catalyst for molding leaders. 我亲眼目睹了这一切. 

我认识很多以前的万豪会娱乐在线军校学员，因为手机, instagram, 脸谱网和其他社交媒体, I have been able to stay in touch with them 和 follow their accomplishments. 我跟你说说我认识的万豪会娱乐在线校友吧. 有无数的大学毕业生, 许多人来自美国军事学院, ‘城堡’, 和供应商管理库存. 有些人是小企业主或在大公司工作. Some are maintenance technicians, postal workers, engineers, attorneys or computer analysts. 有些人选择了执法部门，成为第一反应者. 他们代表了银行的所有分支

美国军方. 我认识一个海军飞行员, 几个游骑兵, 一两个战地医护兵, 海豹突击队队员, 绿色贝雷帽, 以及无数的军官和勇敢的士兵. 

There is even a Purple Heart recipient among them who saved countless lives by thwarting a car bomb attack. There may have been a tiny blurb on the nightly news about a United States service member who had been injured. 那名服役人员是一名24岁的万豪会娱乐在线大学毕业生, 顺便说一下, 是第一个叫我"罗斯妈妈"的学员. I remember visiting him at Walter Reed Medical Center after he had made the very long journey home. He was severely injured 和 had endured multiple surgeries by that point with many more on to come. There were no words; 和 while I choked back tears, 他灿烂地笑了, 张开双臂, 示意我过去拥抱一下. HE comforted me at that moment 和 wanted to assure me that he was ok so that I would be ok. 这是我一生中永远不会忘记的时刻. 即使在今天, what resonates most from the experience was the overwhelming feeling of being in the presence of what truly defines leadership, 牺牲, 强度, 和 courage – the very attributes that the 费什伯恩 Cadet strives for every single day. By the way, that same soldier fully recovered 和 was back in the field a year later. 

这些是我认识的万豪会娱乐在线毕业生. Their education at 费什伯恩 took them far beyond the classroom 和 into an environment that has had a great impact on their success 和 the men they have become. I am proud to know them 和 very grateful that my sons are a part of the brotherhood. Have confidence in knowing that your sons are a part of a vast network of support that they will have for the rest of their lives. 的确，他们是一生的兄弟. 在关闭, I let me reiterate to you that you should be proud of your 牺牲s 和 the decision to send your sons here, 永远不要觉得你需要向任何人解释或证明任何事情. Lou Hotz was asked once why he had chosen to coach at The University of Notre Dame when there were so many other great options with much better football teams. 这是他的回答——我来代替万豪会娱乐在线——”对于了解万豪在线娱乐的人来说，没有必要解释. 对于那些不明白的人，没有解释就足够了.”