COURTESY PHOTO
Pictured is Greystone Prepatory School student Christian Kinnon.
By STEVE FREKER
MALDEN — For a person who just began his final year as a teenager, Christian Kinnon has already compiled quite a resume of accomplishments and brought a lot of pride to his family and others who care about him the most.
But the 19-year-old Malden resident, who was a three-time state swim champion in high school, has plenty left to achieve. Kinnon recently got life-changing news reserved only for a select few. Following his nomination by U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass. and U.S. Rep. Katherine Clark, D-5th Middlesex, Kinnon was notified of his appointment recently to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
Out of 14,000 applicants seeking to attend West Point, only 1,200 are appointed. Additionally, Kinnon, a 2016 graduate of Mystic Valley Regional Charter High School, is the first student from that school to receive a service academy appointment and one of just a handful from the city of Malden to be so honored.
Kinnon was in his dormitory room at Greystone Preparatory School in Texas, where he is in the midst of a preparatory school year, when he learned he was appointed. He immediately called his father, Neil Kinnon.
“Along with my mother he’s been my greatest teacher and motivator,” Kinnon said. “Through every challenge and setback he’s encouraged me to push through and realize my goals. While applying to West Point he’s been a huge supporter and I couldn’t think of a more worthy person to share the good news with first.”
Military service is a Kinnon family legacy. Kinnon’s grandfather, Leo Kinnon, 92, is a World War II Army veteran.
The Kinnon family name is the gold standard in Malden: No fewer than 15 Kinnons served during World War II, the most of any family in city history. Their names are emblazoned on the World War II Memorial at Bell Rock Memorial Park in Malden
“My family’s service in the military, especially during World War II, has been a major inspiration for me to pursue a military career,” Kinnon said.
Neil Kinnon is a longtime Malden City Council member.
“My wife, Lisa, and I and all of our family could not be prouder of our son’s achievement and his perseverance. To me, in life, perseverance is everything and we’ve tried to instill it in all of our children,” Councilor Kinnon said.
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Kinnon’s path to the citadel overlooking the Hudson River has not been smooth and direct. An administrative error in medical paperwork a year ago caused his nomination and potential West Point appointment to be moved to waitlist status.
“Of course we were all disappointed, but Christian never doubted himself or his decision, so we worked on finding a way,” Neil Kinnon said.
Christian decided to attend Greystone. Despite its distance from Christian’s Maplewood neighborhood in Malden, some 2,000 miles away, it was what he wanted.
“I definitely believe Greystone has helped me a great deal. It will help me be more successful at the Academy and beyond. We take the same courses we would take as plebes (freshmen) at the Academy and we all practice leading others and learning the importance of character at Greystone. In many ways Mystic Valley (Charter School) had already helped put me a step above in character, education, academics and athletics, but Greystone took that to a newer and higher level,” Kinnon said.
He is grateful for the support of many people including his mother, grandparents Leo and Joan Kinnon, his teachers and coaches and Markey and Clark.
“I have a lot of people who have helped me.”
Kinnon said swimming taught him the perseverance and helped him to develop a “long-term, goal-oriented mentality.”
“Without unwavering dedication you cannot be successful in swimming. I truly believe that stick-to-it-iveness has helped me transition to a pursuit of a West Point appointment after being sidetracked in my first attempt,” he said.