WOODBURN, Ind. - Woodlan High School senior Dirk Herschberger has accepted an offer to join the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. “I’ve been waiting for this moment,” Herschberger tells ParkviewSportsMedicine.com. “All the hard work I put into it finally paid off.” Herschberger learned of his admittance last Thursday, when 3rd District U.S. Rep. Jim Banks personally called and told him. Banks, U.S. Sen. Todd Young and then-U.S. Sen. Joe Donnelly all nominated Herschberger for The Academy in West Point, New York, earlier in the school year. A formal letter and Certification of Appointment followed in the mail Monday, and Herschberger accepted the invitation to attend West Point. “I was ecstatic. I had to sit down, because I was so thrilled. I really didn’t know what to think at the moment," he says. Herschberger’s résumé is a laundry list of academic, athletic and citizenship awards. An Eagle Scout (as are all three of his brothers), Herschberger wrestled, played football, played golf and played sousaphone in the marching band at Woodlan—a feat that included state finals appearances for football and marching band. Academically, his 4.3 grade point average ranks 3rd in the Warriors’ Class of 2019, and he has earned Academic All-State honors in both wrestling and football. Dirk Herschberger (courtesy photo) He was also Woodlan’s recipient for the Sertoma Award, which recognizes athletic, scholastic and community accomplishment. ➣RELATED | Marching To Their Own Beat: Herschbergers Embody a Spirit of Woodlan From regular calls to government and military officials to weekend visits to Washington, D.C., and New York State, Herschberger’s journey to West Point has been one of hard work and patience. His resolve comes from a desire since his underclassman days to serve in the military.