Written by Bella Mongillo |
Featured image via UNH|

In the class of 2019, there are a number of students who have decided to join different branches of the military. Of those students, there are two who decided to take a different route and join a college ROTC Program.

ROTC stands for Reserve Officer Training Corps. It is a college program that allows students to attend college while training for the military.

Seniors Alyssa LeMay and Noah Scarpace are both going to be attending University of New Haven in the fall as part of the ROTC Program. They will be recruited into the Army after graduation.

Even though they will be attending college, their schedules are very different from a typical student. “You get up at 5 o’clock in order to go work out which is called PT, and then you go to your classes,” Senior Noah Scarpace states. There is also a mandatory elective ROTC students must take which is a military science class.

Everyone who joins ROTC has different reasons for doing so. Alyssa LeMay claims, “I wanted to be able to be called to work if there was any trouble outside of the US or inside as well,” while Noah said, “Initially I just wanted to enlist in the Army, but my parents wanted me to go to college and get a degree so we compromised”.

Noah has been wanting to join the army almost his whole life. “I first decided I wanted to go into the military when my cousin joined in 2005, and he was a role model to me, almost like a big brother,” he said.

Both Noah and Alyssa shared encouraging words for those who are considering joining an ROTC Program. Alyssa stated, “You only get out of it as you give so always work hard and stay positive.” While Noah said, “stay healthy. Stay on top of your schoolwork. Stay out of trouble and just never give up”.