At Wentworth we don't just say it, we live it. In contrast, a 2008 survey of teens on Ethics of American Youth by the Josephson Institute reported the following:

• 30% of teens admitted stealing from a store within the past year
• 83% confessed they lied to their parents about something significant
• 64% cheated on a test in the past year

As shocking as these statistics are, even more shocking is that 93% of those teens said they were satisfied with their personal ethics and character. At Wentworth, we are not satisfied.

At Wentworth we guide our cadets to "Achieve the Honorable", a phrase written in stone above the entrance to the main building. When new cadets arrive at Wentworth, they learn the Fact Sheets, important parts of the school's history and traditions. This shared history creates a common bond between new cadets and their predecessors. While memory of parts of the Fact Sheets fades over time, some never does. Ask any graduate what is necessary for evil to triumph and you will hear the reply, "Sir, the only thing necessary for triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing" And all recall "I will not lie, cheat or steal, nor tolerate those who do."

Tradition

These are not just hollow phrases cadets learn. They learn to live them. Cadet Officers swear to uphold the school's Rules & Regulations (with help from faculty and staff), and to fulfill that commitment, they must earn the respect and trust of their subordinates. They must set the example. Hypocrites cannot lead. Wentworth cultivates a culture where honesty is rewarded and positive peer pressure is exerted to do the right thing rather than to do the expedient, wrong, or "cool" thing.

The integration of high school and college cadets in the Wentworth Corps means the younger cadets have role models and the older cadets have opportunities to hone their leadership skills. Wentworth is one of only a few military schools in the United States to offer a program where high school students and college students come together in a single Corps of Cadets. The majority of college cadets attend Wentworth to be commissioned into the US Army or attend the United States Air Force Academy. This high-achieving group holds itself to a higher standard than the teens who responded to the Josephson survey. Their positive influence pervades the Wentworth High School.

At Wentworth, Achieve the Honorable is a principle which guides our graduates lives.