TESTIMONIALS
I didn't know I wanted to do ROTC before I came into college; I was just looking for a way to pay for college. I found out about the ROTC scholarship my freshmen year. The scholarship pays for tuition, books and fees. But we're able to here, many universities, as ODU is one of, has incentives that we can offer. So we're able to provide him with a meal plan as well as money for room. My parents were really excited about the financial assistance that I received because of the fact that it just took a little bit of a load off of their shoulders. These financial assistances help a whole lot, they take away the stress of having to worry about where the next meal is going to come from or how am I going to pay for next semester. Just getting that out of the way takes away so much stress. The reason I would recommend the Army ROTC scholarship to someone who maybe thinking about joining the program: you'll be getting your tuition paid for, your books paid for, and the fact that you are moving on your way to getting a commissioned job straight out of college is a big plus. - Cadet RJ Custodio
My name is Otto Padron. I'm a Senior Vice President of Programming and Promotion here at Univision. I'm also a Major in the U.S. Army Reserve. My MOS, 11-Alpha, Infantry. My informal introduction into television was at a very young age. My father was an engineer so I got to see a little bit more of the technical side of the house. I realized that I didn't want to go in that direction; I wanted to go into the creative direction. I didn't think a community college was sufficient enough to make me competitive in the corporate world. I wanted to move to a better school; I wanted a higher education. I quickly realized that the ROTC program was going to give me an opportunity to attend the school that I wanted to go to, and not just the school that I could afford. ROTC is a program that a college student can participate in if either they want to become an Army Officer or they want to improve their leadership skills, team building, mentoring, coaching and decision-making skills to help them after they graduate. The ROTC program was my solution and it was a change of life for me. The only regret I have about ROTC is that I didn't find it earlier. One of the things that many companies look for when they're recruiting is whether you have some type of military experience. Having done ROTC is only going to help that future college graduate. I definitely do see the effects of his Officer training and his career in the Army in what he does here. He's an extremely dedicated and disciplined person. The ROTC program is much like an MBA. All my employers see the skill set that having an Army background brought to the team. Leading is a perishable skill, if you don't do it enough, it goes away. Your ability to motivate, inspire and push people to do things that they wouldn't otherwise do is an incredible thing. - MAJ Otto Padron
What I like about the Army reserve is along with getting trained in other MOS’s it still gives you the flexibility of going to school where you can get tuition assistance. By trade I’m a computer tech specialist. The Army reserve gives me a chance to work with computers, radios and all of that technology stuff that I love. I couldn’t get the training that I’m getting in the Army reserve in the civilian sector. Currently as an Army reserve soldier my job is to teach 25 uniform level 10 soldiers. For my civilian job I’m actually a contractor for the US Army. I work as a field software engineer supporting units when they go off for field training exercises. Every weekend that we serve is different. There are different taskings, there’s different requirements. So each weekend that we go each month there’s something new. I want to become an officer. That’s always been my dream. The Army reserve right now has given me a chance to go before a board to be direct commissioned as opposed to going through the OCS process. When I put my uniform on every month it’s that sense of pride of knowing that you represent something more than yourself. - Sergeant Antwan Smalls
My name is Armando Aguilera. I'm an oral and maxillofacial surgeon and a major in the United States Army. Early on, I never thought of becoming a surgeon. I enlisted in the Army at age 17 and became a combat medic. I had a lot of ambition and was able to find the right mentors, who played a huge part in shaping me, giving me direction. I left the Army to attend the University of Miami, where I accepted a Green to Gold Scholarship from the ROTC. After graduation, I attended dental school with assistance from the Army Health Professions Scholarship Program. The most rewarding part is seeing a young Soldier, with a lot to look forward to, recover. They depend on you and you can help. It's very satisfying. And with difficult cases I can just walk over to consult with doctors who are experts — some, authors of famous books. You learn, one-on-one, with the best. - Dr. Armando Aguilera
All testimonials and photos were sourced from https://www.goarmy.com/soldier-life/stories.html