Graduating senior Louis Belasco III has wanted to live a life of service since he was 8 years old. By the time he set foot in Wildwood Catholic Academy in September 2021, he had the goal of attending the United States Military Academy.
On March 14, he was among the 12% of applicants to be accepted by West Point, and on June 30, less than a month after graduating high school, Belasco – or “LJ” as his family calls him – will start at the academy.
“It was the best way to get to what I wanted to do with my life, [which is] to help defend the American people and the American way of life,” said Belasco, 18. “Growing up, I saw how lucky or how good we had it here, and knew that it was important to have that continue for future generations.”
At West Point, Belasco will major in war studies; he plans to join the Army Rangers afterward.
He said Wildwood Catholic Academy, where he is a fourth-generation student on his father’s side, was vital in helping him achieve the goal – teaching him time management, encouraging him to take advanced courses and guiding him through the application process.
“Louis was an excellent student. He is a very hard worker, and from the minute that I met him freshman year, his goal was to make it to the academy,” said Louise Fourney, the school’s vice principal and director of guidance. “He has a great work ethic, and when he wants something, he’s determined to work as hard as he can to accomplish his goals.”
A few weeks prior to bidding farewell to Wildwood Catholic, Belasco graduated from Cape May County Fire Academy as a volunteer firefighter with Wildwood Crest Volunteer Fire Company No. 1. He was also captain of the high school cross country, swim, and track and field teams; a Eucharistic minister at Notre Dame de la Mer Parish in Wildwood; and a member of the Wildwood Crest Beach Patrol.
He said that some leadership qualities he took away from those roles are how to get a group of people from different backgrounds and experiences to all aim for one goal.
Belasco also served as a Eucharistic minister and lector at the school’s Masses, and he volunteered with food drives and at the Lazarus House food pantry in Wildwood.
“I believe that it is that foundation of service that laid the groundwork and allowed him to blossom into realizing his dream of serving the American people,” said Belasco’s father, Louis M. Belasco, 46. “LJ’s accomplishment in this was very hard-fought. It’s not unusual for him to be up before the sun at 5 a.m., be it for athletic training or school activities.”
He mentioned that his son leaves the house to train for West Point at 5 a.m. and gets home at 11 p.m.
While Belasco is fourth generation at WCA, he’ll be the first from his family to attend West Point and serve in the U.S. military since World War II.
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