The Vanguard series highlights cadets of Virginia Military Institute who exemplify promise, perseverance, and the true spirit of leadership. While they may not be the top-ranking students or those in prestigious positions, these individuals' dedication, resilience, and growth embody the essence of being a VMI cadet. By sharing their stories, including the challenges they've faced and overcome, we shine a spotlight on the diverse paths to success at the Institute, proving that leadership and excellence come in many forms.  

LEXINGTON, Va. March 12, 2026 — A NARP is a common term around college campuses — a non-athletic regular person — and a way Sara Mihalovich ’26 describes herself, but she is far from 'regular.’ Although she can be laid back, the 1st Class cadet at Virginia Military Institute is determined and excels at whatever she puts her mind to.

It’s something her professors and peers notice.

“Cadet Mihalovich stands out to me because she can really sustain long-term attention to research, learning, and writing, which of course produces superior work,” Col. Michelle Iten, professor in the Department of English, Rhetoric, and Humanistic Studies (ERHS), commented. “I also admire her authenticity. She does hard things, such as the half Ironman and writing powerful papers, but she feels no need to make sure everyone knows she is doing hard things. She walks the walk, as they say.”

From working at the library, participating in the literary journal Cadence, being the triathlon club cadet in charge to serving on the Rat Disciplinary Committee (RDC), Mihalovich has taken advantage of what VMI sets cadets up with — a foundation for achievement. 

“I was very quiet when I first got here. I was very uncomfortable in probably every single situation possible I was put in,” she admitted. “I think being uncomfortable in those situations has made me grow. Now you can put me in any situation, and I will do a lot better. I was able to be uncomfortable and it pushed me over the edge a little bit.” 

Col. Mary “Polly” Stewart Atwell, associate professor in the Department of ERHS, has taught Mihalovich in four different classes and said she’s distinguished herself in each one. 

"She's actively engaged in class discussion, and though she's generally a quiet person, it's clear that her classmates respect her and listen when she talks,” Atwell explained. “She's an incredibly talented writer, and won first prize in both the fiction and poetry categories in the Cadence journal’s Creative Arts Contest — something I've never seen before in 11 years at VMI. I always appreciate her intelligent, measured, and thoughtful participation in class.” 

Mihalovich puts herself out there. She’s more involved. 

"I was mostly a ghost my rat year and 3rd Class year. I didn't really know what the school was all about yet. I had to figure my way through life a little bit,” she said.  

Taking a position with the RDC got her involved at a higher level. She was one of two female cadets chosen to take a spot. 

“I like how intense the RDC is. I wanted to be part of the Rat Line in some way my senior year. Then I could be part of the it when my rat is also going through it,” she explained. 

The experience allowed her to bond with her rat but also keep tabs on the upcoming class. She was able to get workouts in and stay active, too.

“I'm very physically active, so already that's a big part of the RDC. We do a lot of physical activity with them, and I'd be able to keep up,” she said.  

Physical activity is a must for Mihalovich. She’s participated in triathlons since she was 8 years old. In the fall, she completed a half Ironman. That’s a 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike ride, and 13 mile run.  

Since Mihalovich knows structure thanks to VMI, her triathlon and half Ironman training regime was easy to come by. From spending hours on the bike, going from long runs, and taking time in the pool, she felt prepared to do her first half Ironman. She also fed off the energy of her fellow racers. 

“Everybody really wanted to do it. It was a very cool environment to be in. Finishing was insane, because I enjoyed every single second,” she said. “The crowds were insane. You didn't need music at all. You were just listening to everybody cheering for you. The finish line was obviously the loudest, through the big arch, and you feel like you're going to collapse, but then other people are holding you up. It was an amazing experience.” 

Committed to schedule, Mihalovich likes to have all her daily tasks done by 10:30 p.m. 

"I like getting my sleep, so I try to do all my homework and everything during the day,” she said. “My day is very, very busy.” 

She’s thought ahead, too. Frontloading her class schedule in her first years at VMI has helped. In her last semester, she’s taking 14 credits.

“I'm good in any high stress situation. Time management is a huge thing, too. Having 18 credit hours per semester was insane and then having triathlon stuff on top of that was just a crazy workload for an 18- to 20-year-old to have,” she stated.  

Mihalovich admits the academics have been challenging for her.  

“We take a lot more credit hours than most people, and we don't have as much time to complete everything,” she said. “We have our inspections, we have our mandatory games, we have our ROTC time, we have PT [physical training], we have all that.” 

The English major is currently focusing a lot of her energy on her senior capstone project — a 12 to 15-page research paper focusing on French artist Fragonard, looking at his paintings and how he paints desire and love through a narrative. 

“She is willing to wrestle with her ideas and with uncertainty, to dig deep into her research, and to draft and revise many times. I really admire this trait as sustained focus is increasingly hard for all of us,” Iten continued. “Cadet Mihalovich’s capacity to remain engaged over a long process of research and writing shows great promise. I know she will take this intellectual endurance into planning and problem-solving in her service as an officer in the USMC.” 

Col. Steven Knepper, professor in the Department of ERHS, agreed that Mihalovich is skilled at bringing research and analysis together. 

“This is evident in her excellent senior capstone about the paintings of Jean-Honoré Fragonard,” he said. “She does impressive academic work, and she also helps her fellow cadets. She gives pointed but encouraging feedback in class discussions and in peer review.” 

She spent last semester doing the bulk of her research for her capstone, so she’s now in full research paper writing mode. The idea for her thesis was sparked from one painting that caught her eye early on — “The Swing.” 

“I built off what key aspects were in that painting,” she said. "I looked at some of his other paintings and how he portrayed similar themes within the other ones. It took off from there.” 

Mihalovich plans to attend Marine Corps Officer Candidate Course, with the intent to commission. It took several different other ventures into VMI’s ROTC branches for her to land on the Marines.  

“I like the structure of the Marine Corps, their morals and their mission,” she said. “I like how they're smaller, more compact team.”  

Laura Peters Shapiro
Communications & Marketing
VIRGINIA MILITARY INSTITUTE