More than 1,000 graduates joined the ranks of the U.S. Army this spring. According to West Point, the graduating class of 244 women, 126 African Americans, 79 Asian/Pacific Islanders, 85 Hispanics, and 10 Native Americans received commissions as second lieutenants during the U.S. Military Academy Graduation Ceremony.

“Class of 2022, congratulations! The past 47 months has been a tough, rigorous, and challenging experience to develop you as leaders of character prepared to support and defend the Constitution of the United States; prepared for a career of selfless service, and prepared to fight our nation’s wars,” Superintendent Lt. Gen. Darryl A. Williams said in a statement.

Gen. Mark A. Milley, the 20th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, echoed Williams’s sentiments and addressed the importance of equality, teamwork, and perseverance in defense of the nation.

Second lieutenant Jane Yan said that her experiences at West Point helped her develop into a more astute person.

“These four years have really shaped me," Yan said in a statement. "I feel like it’s made me more mature. I definitely see a change in my character and my belief in things. My point of view on the world changed every single year that I was a cadet at the academy.”