ALUMNI PROFILE
“Don’t Ever Quit”
From MMA to West Point, Maxwell Broughton ’15 LEFT: Broughton, at MMA, senior year, 2014-15. FAR LEFT: Broughton on commissioning day, May 23, 2020
“We didn’t know much about MMA,” Amy says, admitting they at first thought it was a school for troubled kids. “We didn’t know what a good school Missouri Military Academy is.” Leadership experience and a chance to build his resume to apply to West Point were the big drivers of Max’s motivation to attend MMA.
Nearly six years out from his time at Missouri Military Academy, Maxwell Broughton ’15 is still a fan of military schools — so much so that he spent his college days at one, too. The West Point graduate encourages families and young men to look beyond military school stereotypes and learn what MMA has to offer. “You never know what will come of it,” he says. “Take that leap of faith.”
For Max, MMA Class of 2015, MMA helped him achieve his dream of graduating from the United States Military Academy at West Point in May 2020. Currently stationed at Fort Benning, Georgia, 2nd Lt. Broughton is completing six months of IBOLC (Infantry Basic Officer Leadership Course) and in April will start Ranger School. A stint at MMA’s Leadership Camp after his sophomore year of high school sparked an interest in Max that left him wanting more. He knew he wanted to attend MMA full time. His parents, Amy and Lance Broughton, weren’t so sure. 38
The Eagle
“I wasn’t excelling in my previous high school,” says Max, who joined MMA his junior year. “[MMA] naturally clicked. I fell in love with everything it had to offer — the intent, the sense of duty and values, giving young kids a chance to see what leadership is like and to get out of their comfort zones.” At MMA, Max participated in JROTC Raiders, serving as captain during his senior year, and Honor Guard, a select group of cadets who fulfill ceremonial duties at community events and funerals. One of his favorite MMA activities was the weekly Vespers service in Memorial Chapel with the full corps of cadets, listening to hymns and worshipping together. “With all of us there, all brothers, the world stopped, and we took a pause before resuming our duties,” he says. Company competitions also ranked high on his list of experiences, as do his memories of “how cadets ran the show.” Max credits MMA for preparing him for West Point inspections and military grading. “The cleanliness, efficiency and art of military discipline — it was ingrained every minute, even more than at West Point,” he says. Amy watched her son grow as MMA challenged and inspired him
