Virginia Military Institute’s cadet-athletes have to juggle cadet life, heavy academic course loads, and their NCAA Division I sport. Committed to both academic and athletic pursuits, balancing their rigorous schedule in both sports and school requires a certain level of commitment and discipline. Behind the Balance is a series that focuses on those cadet-athletes and how they handle the hurdles of the day-to-day. 

LEXINGTON, Va. Sept. 1, 2025 — It was a goal of Luke Schalow ‘26 to play college football. But he also knew, if he could never play football again, he wanted to go to a school he would be proud to have attended.  

"This was a school that when I visited it was nothing like the high school I had gone through, and I certainly didn't want to go through high school again,” the economics and business major admitted. 

Cadet-athletes at Virginia Military Institute not only have their responsibilities with their selected sport but cadet duties on top of that. Cadets are also required to take physical fitness classes twice a week, participate in ROTC all four years, prepare for room and uniform inspections, practice for parade, guard duty, and more. 

Schalow is also on the S9 staff, which includes preparing for pep rallies, company athletics activities, and creating permits. S9 is primarily made up of athletes, so cadets involved must pick up the slack when those on the staff are in season. For Schalow, that could mean an early morning remedial PT session or fitness tests. Each morning would be dedicated to S9 or football, he said.  

“Football is always a priority, that's what I came here to do," he explained. “S9 can complement that, and it really intertwines with it a lot." 

He said his duties with football and S9 really go together during Matriculation Week, when he and others on the S9 staff get rats up in the morning, bring them to breakfast and then to train. But sometimes, he will have to choose.  

He’s also part of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, which meets every Monday, as well as Navigators Bible Study, which meets on Tuesdays.  

His days are planned down to the minute to meet all his obligations. That’s where his time management skills come into play. 

“I really take stuff as it comes. I see kind of what to do and I try to work at what's in front of me,” he said. "You certainly want to look ahead, but you can't look too far ahead. I really just handle what's in front of me and solve that problem. Then we're moving on to the next.” 

Schalow is usually up at 5 a.m. to weightlift for football. Then it’s on to breakfast and classes. He’s in class from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. This semester he’s enrolled in 17.5 credits.  

By 3:50 p.m. he’s off to team meetings. That’s followed by a whole slew of different sections of practice that last until 6:45 p.m. He was also elected as captain by his teammates, which means he’s there to lead the team.  

“It doesn't look like just wearing the title and being able to give commands to anybody. That's not what it is. Instead, it's to be a servant to them, to figure out what the team needs, and to know the guys on the team and to know what they're going through, so that you can properly tend to that,” Schalow stated. “Wherever there are problems within the team, or wherever there are problems from the team, to on the hill, that's where we're really the liaison.” 

He said he acts as the bridge from the team to other parts of VMI.  

"It's to solve problems for the team and to keep ourselves to a high standard so that we can be successful on the field. That translates to every aspect of VMI, because how you do anything is how you do everything. As a captain, your job is to set the standard and to encourage others to do the same ... to be with them and to help them when they're struggling to meet that standard,” he said.  

He credits his foundation with God to get him through the day. 

"I'm just not that strong on my own,” he commented. “It's just the personal relationship with Him that's really what's carried me through it all. And then with that as the foundation, I would say that you just need grit. Things are never convenient.” 

Schalow explained that everything at VMI is regimented — time is sectioned off, but there’s always some give and take to be had.  

“You’ve got to be early for things,” he admitted. “There's no excuse to not be there. There's no excuse to not make it to something, or to not be in the right uniform or something like that. What you have to do is just manage that. Sometimes you just have to take a deep breath and recognize this is VMI, and it's just what you have to do." 

He also leans on his brother rats to get by. 

“The guys on the team are my brothers, especially the guys in my class, we've been through everything together,” he said. "The guys on the team, the fellow believers, it's the bond that we have. Being a Christian, going through VMI, being an athlete at VMI, we understand what each other are going through. 

“Having those guys to carry my burdens and to being able to hopefully carry theirs as well, that's the way to manage it. That's been the lifeblood, having fellowship with those guys and leaning on them,” he continued.  

Schalow is set to graduate in December but walk in the May ceremony. He plans to work as a field engineer for Whiting-Turner Contracting Company out of Chesapeake, Virginia. 

Laura Peters Shapiro
Communications & Marketing
VIRGINIA MILITARY INSTITUTE