VMI Cadet Sofia Fleming Publishes a Children's Book about the VMI Rat Line.

Sofia Fleming is a 3rd-class cadet, and she completed VMI's famous Rat Line in the spring of 2025. The Rat Line made such an impression on her that she would draw pictures of Rats in her spare time, as well as write little poems about the Rat Line. After sending some of her work to her parents, her dad encouraged her to create a children's book about the Rat Line. That is where Sofia's book titled "This Rat……. A Military College Story" was born. Inspired by her own experiences as a Rat, she hand-drew each Rat Line activity in a whimsical light, with a cartoon rodent representing each challenging task. Sofia believed that a cheerful outlook helped her complete the Rat Line. She incorporated her sense of humor in her drawings with rodents counting blocks of cheese in math class or lifting cheese wheels in the Rat gym. Each page of the book is a humorous tribute to the adventures that Rats make on their journey to become cadets and upperclassmen. VMI was the only four-year college that Sofia Fleming applied to because she wanted a school that would challenge her academically, physically, and mentally. As an English major, she wanted a school that would push her to become a better writer, and she was attracted to VMI's rigorous academic programs. Sofia has always dreamed of becoming an author, although she never thought her first published book would be a children's book about Rats. Sofia's oldest sister, Alia Hamad, class of '03, matriculated at the Virginia Military Institute in 1999, which was a quarter of a century before Sofia would take the same oath and continue the legacy. Alia was a member of the third class of women to matriculate at VMI, and she encouraged Sofia to consider attending the school. Sofia and Alia both agree that they could not imagine having chosen a different college. "This Rat……. A Military College Story" is available at the VMI Museum Store and on Amazon. The Cadet is 100% self-supporting. Please help us continue our work as the voice of the Corps and alumni with a donation at www.thecadetfoundation.org