Living A Life Of Significance

By David Schroeder

My rugby teammates at the Naval Academy gave me a lot of grief when they learned I had won the inaugural Penn Mutual Life of Significance Award. The running joke was that I was the only significant person on the team, but after I learned more about it, I realized the true meaning of the award. Accepting the award was a way of giving back to the Naval Academy and the USNA rugby team, both of which have given me so much.

My Story
I grew up in Louisville, Kentucky. I was an average student in high school and was accepted into the University of Louisville after graduation. My dad worked at the University, so I would be able to attend for free. Somehow, I sensed that would be the easy way out for me, and I was looking for a challenge. One day I spoke with a Marine recruiter who helped me through making decisions about my life.

A few months later, I joined the Marines. The thing that attracted me most about the Marine Corps was its philosophy that leadership starts at the very lowest level. You're never just concerned about yourself and you're taught to put others first, which I loved. I joined the Marine Corps in late 2007 and was eventually stationed in Okinawa, Japan, working on C130 cargo planes as a load master, logistics, and cargo handler.

I was promoted pretty quickly, but I felt I had a potential to affect more people and help in a different way. I knew I wanted to lead, so I started looking into officer programs. The Naval Academy was unique among the officer programs as it would accept me in the middle of my current enlistment.

Discovering the Fellowship of Rugby
During my freshman year I met a senior who became my role model and mentor: He's now a Navy Seal. He also played rugby. He was a very compassionate and intelligent guy, but he was also tough. When he invited me to come try out for the team, I honestly had no idea what rugby was about, but I made the team.

I was not the most athletic, talented or gifted athlete on the field, but I'm a competitor at heart and I absolutely hate not striving towards my best in whatever way. That drove me to stick with rugby and I'm thankful that I did.

The rugby team is where I sought refuge from all the stress at the Academy. Here I was, a 22 year old in school with 18 year olds, most of whom had never had a job or lived away from their parents. Yet they were also very, very smart kids and I felt I stuck out like a sore thumb. The rugby team really helped me to find a place and make friends that had similar interests.

We have a saying on the team. "He who bleeds with me shall be my brother." I've broken several bones while playing rugby, torn ligaments, gotten staples and stitches everywhere, and so did most of the guys on the team. When you do that with other men, it doesn't really matter what your differences are, it bonds you, and it's an extremely strong bond.

After the Academy
I graduated from the Naval Academy last May. Shortly afterwards, I played with my rugby teammates for the last time at the Penn Mutual Collegiate Rugby Championship, where I also received the Penn Mutual Life of Significance Award. Then, I left for flight school.

As part of the award, Penn Mutual made a donation to a charity of my choice. I chose the Travis Manion Foundation. Travis was a graduate of the Academy, and he's one of the guys we all look up to and respect for what he did and for the life that he led.

To sum up my feelings about the award: It is an honor, but there are probably plenty of other players who worked harder or were more worth recognition. What I've done is just part of my life, what I like to do. In the end, that's probably the secret of a life of significance. Do what you know is right, something you know will make a difference to others, regardless of whether you get recognition for it.

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