Stokes Fellows Program · Est. 2012

Cadets serving cadets.

At West Point, clear thinking and effective communication are mission-critical skills. Stokes Fellows are specially selected and trained cadets who provide one-on-one writing and communication support to their peers, across every academic department.

Become a Fellow The Stokes legacy

Cadets selected as Stokes Fellows each year: ~45
One-on-one consultations since 2019: 5,000+
Postgraduate scholarships won by Fellows since 2019: 24
Presentations at juried conferences since 2019: 54

§1 How Fellows serve

guide, don’t direct

Trained to strengthen writers.

When a cadet walks into the Mounger Writing Center, they meet with a Stokes Fellow, a peer who has been trained to:

Read critically and listen carefully
Ask structured questions that sharpen ideas
Provide honest, constructive feedback
Help clarify arguments, organization, and evidence
Identify patterns that affect precision and professionalism

Fellows focus first on substance and clarity, then structure and mechanics. They do not edit papers. They strengthen writers.

§2 Why it matters

Communication affects every cadet’s academic performance and every officer’s future leadership effectiveness.

Clear writing strengthens

01Tactical and operational planning
02Technical documentation
03Research and analysis
04Professional correspondence
05Graduate school and scholarship applications

Clear writing builds clear thinking. Clear thinking builds strong leaders.

§3 The Stokes legacy

MG John H. Stokes, Jr., Class of 1918.

A standout athlete and scholar who won an international writing competition before coming to West Point, Stokes branched Infantry on graduation. During World War II he served with the 2nd Infantry Division in the Normandy invasion and the Battle of the Bulge. He went on to command the Military District of Washington and to serve as the Army’s Chief of Military History, retiring as a Major General after exactly 38 years of service.

Established in 2012 as the Writing Fellows Program, the program was endowed in 2023 by his son, COL (R) John H. Stokes III ’57, and Mary Beth Ziegler-Stokes, and renamed in his honor.

“I personally believe the ability to write well and incisively is a skill that enhances all facets of life, but most assuredly in the profession of arms.”
COL (R) John H. Stokes III ’57

Read the full story from the West Point AOG

§4 Apply

Become a Stokes Fellow.

Most cadets apply during plebe year and complete the two-course sequence by the end of cow year.

You may be a strong candidate if you

Demonstrate excellence in writing and communication
Consistently perform at a high academic level
Aspire to graduate study in any discipline
Seek to strengthen your effectiveness as a leader

Your application packet

Send to Dr. Adams, program director

Your class year and academic major
The semester you plan to take WR303
A faculty reference familiar with your writing
A brief statement describing your interest and experience
Two writing samples from different core courses

Priority deadline
1 March

Applications submitted by 1 March receive priority consideration.

Contact Dr. Adams

§5 Program FAQs

More than academic enrichment.

A Corps-wide service that strengthens communication, builds confidence, and reinforces the culture of cadets supporting cadets.

Q.01What is the Stokes Fellows Program?

Each year, approximately 45 cadets are selected as Stokes Fellows. Their primary responsibility is simple and powerful: help fellow cadets become clearer, stronger, and more confident communicators.

Whether a cadet is drafting a history essay, a technical report, a systems design paper, or a scholarship application, Stokes Fellows provide disciplined, thoughtful feedback designed to strengthen the writer, not just the document. The program reflects West Point’s culture of mutual support, accountability, and shared standards of excellence.

It was established in 2012 and endowed in 2023 to empower cadets to explore, innovate, and lead within the fields of writing, communication, and critical inquiry. Previously known as the Writing Fellow Program, it was renamed in 2023 to honor MG John H. Stokes, Jr., USMA Class of 1918.

Q.02Who does the program serve?

The Stokes Fellows Program serves cadets across:

All majors and academic departments
Core courses and capstone projects
Technical and non-technical disciplines
Personal statements and professional applications

Every cadet benefits from access to trained peers who understand both the academic mission and the standards of the Academy.

Q.03How do Stokes Fellows impact other cadets?

As a Stokes Fellow, you may assist cadets with:

Essays and research papers
Technical reports and lab write-ups
Briefings and professional documents
Graduate school and scholarship applications

In every case, your goal is the same: strengthen another cadet’s ability to communicate with precision and impact.

Through this work, you sharpen your own voice, deepen your character, and prepare to lead in environments where words carry weight and clarity shapes outcomes.

The Stokes Fellows Program is more than academic enrichment. It is leadership development in action.

Q.04How does the program build character?

Serving as a Stokes Fellow requires humility, patience, and intellectual discipline. Fellows learn to guide rather than direct, to challenge respectfully, and to uphold high standards while supporting others.

Through service in the Writing Center, Fellows develop habits essential to Army leadership:

Listening before speaking
Giving constructive feedback
Upholding standards without ego
Helping others improve

It is leadership practiced quietly, consistently, and professionally.

Q.05What type of writing will I help with?

As a Stokes Fellow, you can assist with any writing task, from essays, responses, and research papers to technical reports, lab write-ups, abstracts, manuals, and even posters.

You will not edit or proofread, but rather you will:

Identify patterns of error or awkwardness that obscure the cadet’s meaning
Explain why those issues matter
Guide the cadet toward resources and strategies to improve

And it doesn’t stop at coursework. You may be asked to help with personal and professional goals, including statements for graduate school, scholarship applications, and more.

§6 Leadership

Faculty mentors.

Dr. Georgette Mitchell, Ph.D.

Director, Mounger Writing Center
Associate Director, Stokes Fellows Program

Dr. Georgette Mitchell is an assistant professor of writing and French in the Department of English & World Languages at the United States Military Academy. She is also a director of the Mounger Writing Center, where she leads initiatives that advance writing excellence across the Corps of Cadets, fostering intellectual rigor, clarity of thought, and integrity in communication. As associate director of the Stokes Fellows Program, she mentors cadet scholars in research, public discourse, peer consultations, and global engagement.

Mitchell’s research focuses on Writing Center Studies, French Philology, Translation across Global Contexts, Film and Media Studies, and Literary Theory. Her work explores how language, narrative, and cultural exchange shape understanding across communities, an approach that complements West Point’s emphasis on strategic inquiry and global competence.

Dr. Jonathan Adams, Ph.D.

Director, Stokes Fellows Program
Mounger Writing Center

Dr. Jonathan Adams, an assistant professor in the Department of English & World Languages, is devoted to helping cadets improve their writing skills. As director of the Stokes Fellows Program, he mentors cadet scholars in research, public discourse, peer consultations, and global engagement in writing and communication. His work with the Mounger Writing Center leads initiatives that advance writing excellence across the Corps of Cadets, fostering intellectual rigor, clarity of thought, and integrity in communication.

His research focuses on rhetorical theory, especially as it relates to writing program development and engineering communication. His current research explores how rhetorical exchanges might find success through expansion beyond traditional methods through new approaches to analyzing persuasion.

Contact Dr. Adams