George Dyche ‘16 engineers his path with a purpose in mind

This past summer, George Dyche ‘16 — whose parents are engineers for ExxonMobil — spent a majority of his summer working alongside petroleum engineers, mechanical engineers, electrical engineers, and geoscientists. That was not necessarily a normal activity for teenagers, but for George, it was a head start on his future.

“I want to attend the University of Texas in Austin as a part of the ROTC and then serve in the Navy for five years,” said George, who is the Student Government Association President, the Bravo Battalion Commander and the Student Advisory Committee vice president. “I want to major in mechanical engineering and I want to get my Master’s of Business Administration and then I want to be a project manager.”

Since arriving at Farragut as a freshman, George, whose family has lived in New Orleans (his birthplace), Houston, Angola, France, and Nigeria, has grown from a “nervous kid” to a person with a clear path.

“I think back to my freshman year and it’s interesting to think who I was and who I am now,” said George, who is a seven-day boarder. “I personally chose Farragut because of the diversity, the people who were from all over the world. Knowing I would be around people who could relate to my life was important. Being here, being at a small school, I’ve been able to flourish. I never would have thought of going into the Navy had I not come here. I never would have pushed myself as hard as I have if I hadn’t gone to school here.”

After getting through the first “blurry” year where he was just trying to figure out the structure, George gradually sought out leadership roles.

First came soccer and eventually cross country, where he was able to interact with students who shared like-minded interests. Then came the Regimental Staff and ultimately his participation in Leadership Academy in the summer of 2014, when he truly found himself.

“The first two days, you’re mentally pressured in a way you’ve never been pressured before,” said George, who served as a counselor this past summer at the strict best boarding school-style boot camp for students in JROTC programs throughout Florida. The program is held on Farragut’s campus. “From guys walking up and down the hall banging pots and pans to the amount of physical training you have to do to the ‘de-eyes’ portion where you’re pressured not to look at a sergeant to the ‘get in the grass’ portion, the mental pressure prepares you for dealing with a whole lot in your life. There’s no greater satisfaction than graduating from Leadership Academy, knowing you got through that.”