When Audrey Ortiz-Peterson was in middle school, she wanted to follow in her father’s footsteps by joining the military someday. His suggestion to start running for fun, though, was a lot less appealing.
“I was not a fan,” Ortiz-Peterson, a senior at Mount Vernon High School in Alexandria, recalled. “It was not very fun to me.”
But when Ortiz-Peterson graduates from Mount Vernon on June 9, she will not only be looking forward to attending the U.S. Military Academy at West Point this fall — she’ll be concluding a year spent as the captain of three teams centered on running.
At West Point, “I’ll still be running every day for sure,” Ortiz-Peterson said with a smile.
As the daughter of a pilot in the U.S. Air Force, Ortiz-Peterson spent her childhood moving from state to state — New Mexico, Alabama, Alaska, and multiple relocations within Florida — before landing in Fairfax County for her freshman year at Mount Vernon High School.
Her views on running changed dramatically that year, after a close friend suggested that she join the cross-country team. Ortiz-Peterson thought, “Ok, I’ll give it a shot.”
Running quickly displaced softball and swimming. By sophomore year, Ortiz-Peterson decided she wanted to do it year-round, so she joined the indoor and outdoor track teams, and a club, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
Keeping her grades up, and keeping in shape, would help her fulfill her dream of attending a service academy and eventually becoming a pilot like her father.
“It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made,” Ortiz told FFXnow. “It’s been awesome. I’ve gotten to meet so many new people, run, get in shape, chase [personal records], learn new lessons.”
Ortiz-Peterson also made time to join the Purple Team, a club that helps Mount Vernon students from military families create connections with one another through activities such as pumpkin painting for Halloween, a hot chocolate party, and a white elephant gift exchange at Christmastime.
They also get involved in more somber activities together as a group, such as laying wreaths at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery. Ortiz-Peterson, who’s now the club president, hopes it will continue that tradition after she’s left Mount Vernon.
Graduating high school is a daunting transition for any student, but Ortiz-Peterson will be navigating it with her family on the other side of the world. While she’s running laps at West Point this fall, her family will be in Japan, where her father has a new assignment.
Fortunately, after spending her childhood in eight different schools, military life has prepared her to adapt.
“Whatever happens: new moves, new areas, new schools, they’ll always be with me,” Ortiz-Peterson said. “I’m definitely going to miss them, but I know that they’ll be supporting me from afar, and I’ll be supporting them while they’re in Japan.”
