ROTC students share experiences during Cadet Panel at All-American Bowl

Photo By Michael Maddox | (From left) Cadets Crystal Gonzales, Fernando Garcia, Benjamin Kupferberg and Denzel Prince, who are serving as Cadet Marshals during the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, answer questions about what it’s like to be an ROTC member during a panel in San Antonio, Jan. 8.  

SAN ANTONIO, TX, UNITED STATES

01.08.2016

Story by Michael Maddox 

U.S. Army Cadet Command (Army ROTC)

SAN ANTONIO – The term ROTC is familiar to many adults, but one of the best ways to learn what it entails is by speaking to cadets in the program. Today, guests of the U.S. Army All-American Bowl had the opportunity to learn just what ROTC is about as some of U.S. Army Cadet Command’s best and brightest cadets answered questions as part of a panel.

The cadets shared many aspects of their personal experiences at their schools' ROTC programs, from the perspective of their individual journeys.

Fernando Garcia, a cadet from the University of Notre Dame, said he hasn’t regretted his decision to join the program and become an engineering student.

“The military was always in the back of my mind, and ROTC gave me the opportunity to pursue that and go to my dream school,” he said. “The past couple of years have been such a good experience – meeting wonderful people and it’s a lot of fun. It’s helped me not only learn military skills but how to work with people.”

Crystal Gonzales, a cadet with the University of Puerto Rico and prior service member, said she joined ROTC because it will allow her to grow as a person and professionally.

“I joined ROTC for career progression, because I had my bachelor’s degree in Education and I still wanted to study. I was an NCO and I loved being with Soldiers, but I also saw the planning role of leadership in officers so I thought this was the direction I wanted to go,” she said. “The program is worth it, it’s intense, it’s fun - it’s the best.”

Cadet Benjamin Kupferberg, from the University of Toledo, said his experiences in ROTC have expanded on the foundations he developed as a high school football player and wrestler.

“The opportunities that the ROTC program has given me are some of the greatest that I could have ever pursued,” he said. “There are a lot of opportunities that ROTC gives me that other students aren’t able to get. It’s given me leadership opportunities and helped me develop my character.”

“It’s really helped me develop - better relationship skills are so necessary to be successful in anything,” added Kupferberg. “In the Army and in your school, to be effective you have to be an effective team and to be able to do that you have to be relational. Working on that ability is something I think will be useful throughout life.”

Besides creating “Leaders for Life,” ROTC also provides skills that will last a lifetime, said Cadet Denzel Prince, from Bowie State University.

“They are training us on how to make critical decisions under pressure. In today’s environment, you have to be able to adapt and learn fast,” he said. “I’ve learned that the faster you can adapt, the better you will integrate into a situation and – it’s something that you can apply your entire life.”

• Date Taken: 01.08.2016
• Date Posted: 01.08.2016 17:37
• Story ID: 185939
• Location: SAN ANTONIO, TX, US