Fork Union Military Academy is proud to announce that cadet Joshua Preston, a freshman from Jacksonville, Florida, has been named the 2025 recipient of the Andrew R. Dodge History Scholarship Award.

Established by Mr. Andrew R. Dodge, a proud member of the Class of 1965, this distinguished scholarship encourages a deeper understanding of pivotal events in American history, from the late 18th century through the 20th century, as well as the enduring importance of the United States Constitution. The annual award is presented to the student who submits the most outstanding research paper on a relevant historical topic.

Open to all freshmen, sophomores, and juniors, the competition invites participants to demonstrate academic rigor, original thought, and a passion for historical inquiry. A panel of judges carefully reviewed all qualifying submissions and selected the winner whose paper best exemplified scholarly excellence and historical insight.

Cadet Preston earned this honor for his compelling and thoroughly researched paper titled “The Trail of Tears,” which examined the forced relocation of approximately 60,000 Native Americans from the southeastern United States to lands west of the Mississippi River during the 1830s and 1840s. His work stood out for its depth of analysis and sensitivity to one of the most tragic and transformative periods in American history.

Preston will be formally recognized at the Undergraduate Awards Ceremony on Wednesday, May 21, and the scholarship will be applied directly to his tuition for the upcoming academic year.

We also wish to recognize the exceptional work of this year’s two finalists:

• Cadet John Evans, a sophomore from Stafford, Virginia, who analyzed the transitional Interwar Period (1919–1941) in the United States.
• Cadet Rylan Marshall, a freshman from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, whose paper provided a comparative analysis of the Louisiana Purchase and the potential acquisition of Greenland by the United States.

We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Joshua Preston and commend all participants for their hard work, curiosity, and dedication to the study of American history.