A photograph taken of Second Lt. Alix Schoelcher Idrache at his graduation from West Point went viral this week. Idrache, who was born in Haiti, has tears streaming down his face in the image.
“At this moment, I was overwhelmed with emotions. Three things came to mind and led to those tears,” Idrache explained in a comment on Instagram. “The first is where I started … The second is where I am … The third is my future.”
Idrache, who graduated at the top of his class in physics, was among 953 cadets who received a degree that day. And while the image is incredibly poignant, the story behind it is even more touching.
Idrache explained in his comment that his roots are in Haiti. While growing up there, Idrache saw U.S. forces on humanitarian missions, according to a press release. It was then he began dreaming of becoming a pilot.