SCHool Magazine Features

Recent graduates, nominated by members of the SCH community, open up about their found success, gratitude, and desire to do good.

Amidst the bustling world of aspiring professionals, a select group of recent SCH alumni are steadily carving their paths to success. Each of these individuals, no more than 16 years out of SCH, was nominated as someone who, according to our mission, “leads a life characterized by thoughtfulness, integrity, and a quest to effect positive change” by a member of the SCH community. Their stories, though marked by what some may call setbacks, have been fueled by a found interest, a passion to make a difference, and a healthy dose of resilience. 

These are their stories at a moment in time when they have found success through their professional endeavors, in part thanks to SCH. Where they will go next is undetermined, but after reading these profiles we think you’ll agree: These alumni will be aiming high. 

“One of the things that drives me to be good at what I do is selfless service.” 

PAYDEN HOWARD ’15
Engineer Officer, U.S. Army, Fort Riley, KS

In his senior speech, Payden Howard, inspired by several of his CHA coaches, championed the dogged pursuit of chasing a specific goal. For him, that turned out to be the Army where he now is an engineer officer, recently promoted to captain, providing tactical and construction-based leadership to effectively accomplish missions across the globe. He and his team of engineers build structures, pave roads, construct airfields, bridge gaps, as well as demolish/ breach obstacles to support friendly forces.

“My coaches at CHA always emphasized having a passion and the confidence to strive for your goals, learn from your mistakes, and give everything you had to grow not only as an athlete but also as a young man,” said Howard who has continued to have this mindset at every turn in his career, from applying for an ROTC scholarship to building relationships with allied partners through 164 construction missions. He even led operations for an entire country for several months, taking on all the planning and coordination not just with U.S. units but nearly a dozen other countries.

“I plan and lead soldiers across highly complex situations in an ever-changing world,” said Howard. “There may be a situation where I may have to strictly perform as a construction project manager, another where I have to be a tactical leader guiding my team through enemy-held territory, or even a combination of both.”

This past fall, Howard earned the German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge, the German military's expert soldier badge, which is also open to U.S. soldiers.

“One of the things that drives me to be good at what I do is selfless service,” says Howard, who was recently reassigned to the 916th Forward Engineer Support Team-Advance, a nine-person unit that specializes in planning as well as survey and design. “From planning a mission to even working out at the gym, I try to perform to a higher standard because I know people depend on me to make decisions and be physically fit to lead by example.

Read more of these profiles in our print edition, here.