"I have long said that I received three great foundational educations in my life. The first was forged right here at Gilman," shared United States Marine Corps Major Alex Wright '91 when he spoke at the Upper School's Veterans Day assembly on Monday, November 11. "That is the education of critical thinking, research and writing, logic and intellectual curiosity, public speaking, and debating ideas."

"My second great life education came in college, where horizons are expanded, and you begin to understand the world from an even more holistic, interconnected, and global point of view," Major Wright said. "The third great foundational education of my life came from the 10 years I spent Marines from Okinawa, Japan, to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to the Middle East and beyond. It was in the Marine Corps where I met, served, and led some of the finest, hardest working people who come not from institutions like Gilman or the universities you will go on to attend but from small rural towns and inner city streets, from public schools, and well-worn playgrounds from farms in the heartland and mining communities in the mountains."

Major Wright concluded his Upper School talk by imploring the audience to "build a bridge through your lives" with veterans, especially those with backgrounds different from one's own, and to place curiosity at the heart of those interactions.

"If you get to know them personally — if you are curious — veterans are often happy to share when you're willing to take the time and listen," he said. "When you meet a veteran, especially the ones who come from places beyond our daily lives, I think you'll be amazed both at what you can continue to learn from them and just how human they are. They will be your friends, your neighbors, and your colleagues. If you pay close enough attention, I think you'll learn something about the pride each of them humbly takes in their service to our nation and to its ideals. You'll learn what it means for a veteran to be a veteran."

Watch Major Wright's Upper School Assembly Talk

In a Q&A during assembly and a small group discussion in Carey Hall afterward, Major Wright, along with his father and fellow veteran, retired U.S. Army Colonel Harold R. Wright, M.D., and mother, Judith Wright, R.N., a career registered nurse and medical practice administrator, shared observations and lessons from their lives of service. The conversations covered a wide range of topics, including servant leadership, resilience, the importance of focus and levelheadedness in times of pressure, how to discern a military career, and the future of artificial intelligence within the military.

Major Wright's service in the Marine Corps began in 1997 when he was first commissioned as a second lieutenant. Over his decade-long military career, during which he earned the rank of major, he worked in various specialized roles, including logistics/supply chain operations, civil-military operations, and training and mentorship in effective cultural engagement. In 2007, he began a civilian leadership and management consulting career, specializing in serving public sector clients.

As a consultant, Major Wright has supported national security and federal civilian agencies in undertaking major transformations to enhance their operational effectiveness and constituent services, including work at the U.S. Departments of Defense, State, Homeland Security, Treasury, Health and Human Services, and the Central Intelligence Agency. In 2023, he joined the board of advisors for the Carolina Public Humanities, a research and education center that uses the humanities "to spark curiosity, facilitate dialogue, and generate ideas in the hopes of building stronger democratic societies and a more humane world."

Major Wright holds a bachelor's degree in history and political science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Master of International Public Policy degree from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). He currently resides in Washington, D.C.

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