Photos by Dylan McKenzie Students at Martins Ferry High School listen to West Point Cadet Zach Riggenbach as he speaks on Friday. As a Martins Ferry graduate, Riggenbach provided guidance and answered questions from students at his former high school.

MARTINS FERRY — Some people know just what they want to do in life right out of high school, while others gradually learn what path they want to take as life goes on. For Zach Riggenbach, it’s the latter case, and he is sure that he’s on the right track in life.

Riggenbach is a 2013 graduate of Martins Ferry High School, and is currently attending West Point Military Academy, the academy of the United States Army. Riggenbach’s path to West Point began when a friend in his junior year of high school jokingly suggested he attend the academy for college.

At the time, Riggenbach didn’t know about the academy, and started to do some research.

He ended up shadowing a cadet over the summer, and determined that was what he wanted to do.

However, only one candidate per congressional district is accepted to West Point each year, and despite his application, failed to gain entry.

Riggenbach had options for his higher education — he had been accepted to the Coast Guard Academy and received a Reserve Officers Training Corps scholarship to Ohio State University. However, he decided that West Point was where he wanted to be, and in the meantime, enlisted in the Army.

After going through training as a intelligence collector, Riggenbach finally got his wish in 2014, when he was accepted to West Point.

At West Point, Riggenbach went through both academic classes and additional military training, including two weeks of Cadet Leadership Development Training.

Although the work is challenging at times, he said that the payoffs are well worth it, both in the practical knowledge and the friends he’s made along the way. Riggenbach said that one of the prouder moments in his tenure as a cadet was being named as company commander.

“It was just an incredible group of people,” Riggenbach said, saying that he was proud to be trusted to be in charge of a group of his fellow cadets.

Riggenbach will graduate West Point this spring, but his academic career isn’t over yet. He said that he’s been interested in a medical career for a while, and had the chance to shadow some medial personnel while at West Point. After he graduates as a 2nd lieutenant, he will be attending medical school, which is being paid for in full by the Army. He has been accepted by both the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences and the University of Pittsburgh, and is under consideration by Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.

After graduating, he will continue to serve in the Army with his medical degree.

Riggenbach returned to the Ohio Valley this past weekend on his spring leave to take the chance to talk to high school students in Martins Ferry recently.

He advised the Martins Ferry students looking at prospective colleges to do some research, look up graduation rates, and talk to current students before making a concrete decision. He also encouraged those who are considering an alternate path from college, such as learning a trade or considering a military path, to feel confident in pursuing such an idea.

“Once you know what you want to do, just keep your nose down and work as hard as you can until you get it,” Riggenbach said.