Colonel Everett Spain likes to live by a code. So at 18, when he walked through the gates of the United States Military Academy and saw West Point’s motto — Duty, honor, country — he knew he was in the right place.
Today, Spain continues to epitomize that motto as a professor at his alma mater, teaching and mentoring students who strive to do the same.
A Harvard Business School graduate, Spain has served his country with distinction as an Army ranger and master parachutist, leading troops in Kosovo, Iraq, and Germany. He also served at the Treasury Department.
“The reality is, I feel better about myself when I am actively serving others,” Spain said. “That’s a little bit of an oxymoron … [but] I know that, if I’m not actively serving other people, both on a tactical level — helping someone move their furniture — or on a strategic level — changing policy, whether in the military or beyond — I don’t feel [fulfilled].”
Today, the colonel continues to serve his country as head of West Point’s department of behavioral sciences and leadership, where cadets and colleagues alike look to him for advice and guidance.
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