Michael O’Neill is an incoming rat at the Virginia Military Institute, and is the first in his family to be attending the Institute. He grew up in Fairfax, Virginia, where he has lived his whole life. He graduated from Annandale High School, and is one of two students to be accepted to VMI from his graduating class. He plans on majoring in Civil Engineering, doing Naval ROTC and plans on becoming a Naval Pilot. He looks forward to joining the VMI community, and plans on being a part of the Regimental Band.

During his time as a high school student, he ran long distance for the Spring Track team, participated in school’s marching band and was an active member of the Boy Scouts of America. In his free time, he enjoys mountain biking, long boarding, hiking, kayaking, camping, skiing and paint ball. A few of his hobbies include, collecting rocks from all the places where he has visited and Coca-Cola cans and bottles. He was an active member in his Boy Scout Troop and would go on monthly camping trips. In the spring of 2014, he achieved and was awarded the rank of Eagle Scout. In the summer of 2012, he went to a on a ten day hiking excursion at the Philmont Scout Reservation located in New Mexico.

During the summer of 2011, he was a member of a Habitat for Humanity’s mission trip. A work crew traveled to a remote town in El Salvador and excavated a site designated for a house being built for a local family.  Including El Salvador, he has traveled to Guatemala, Mexico, Jamaica, Cayman Islands, Spain, Gibraltar, France and Ireland.