As the semester comes to a close, we say goodbye to hundreds of graduating seniors leaving the nest to follow their chosen career path. As part of their final semester in Army ROTC at Ball State, Military Science minors are given their branch assignments, which are determined partly on the student’s preference and their educational performance. We asked some ROTC seniors to reflect on the lessons they learned while studying and training at Ball State, and to share their assignments and plans for the future!

Olivia Ostler: Social Work Major with Military Science Minor

What is your branch assignment, and what are your plans post-graduation?
Quartermaster. My plans after graduation are to get a social work job or potentially become a police officer. At some point, I will go to BOLC in Fort Lee, VA for around 3-4 months. My post-graduation plans are still up in the air, but having Army logistics under my belt will definitely be an asset for my future.

How has ROTC enhanced your studies in other academic areas?
I would say it added a lot more onto my plate and taught me a lot about time management and staying organized. ROTC is like having a part-time job, and along with that I am also in the National Guard so that adds a bit more. So, making sure I am thinking ahead and staying on top of my school work was something that ROTC taught me throughout my college career. Alongside that, I would say that it enhanced my studies because education and GPA is a very large part of ROTC and can boost your Order of Merit List score, so that was also a big factor in my motivation for keeping my GPA above a 3.5 for my entire college career.

What important lessons have you learned during your ROTC track at Ball State?
ROTC really taught me a lot about discipline and working with others. For the past four years, I have gotten up around 5 a.m. most days to go to physical therapy. Along with that, I have gone to training and put in a ton of hours learning about the Army and how to be a good leader. I would say getting up that early and spending that many hours on ROTC takes a lot of discipline. ROTC also really taught me about working with all different kinds of people. I have learned that not everyone meshes well with each other, however it is important to learn how to still work efficiently with those people, despite your differences. ROTC really did become my family, so one thing that I am super grateful is that I had such a great class with such supportive people.

 

Isaac Ledford: Business Administration Major with Military Science Minor

What is your branch assignment, and what are your plans post-graduation?
I will be serving on the Active Duty component within the Army as a Quartermaster. Supply and logistics are the bread and butter of the Quartermaster corps. I am excited to apply what I have learned from my business administration degree to the supply and logistics field of the Army. While I do not plan to make the Army a career, everything I have learned from the Army this far, and everything to come, will influence where I finally end up.

How has ROTC enhanced your studies in other academic areas?
ROTC has made me a true professional and an overall better person. The structured life of ROTC has influenced me to be successful and ambitious in many other areas. I am in a fraternity, and I serve on the BSU Student Government Association as the Student Body Treasurer. The structure around priorities and scheduling has focused my ambitions to the highest degree and makes me want to be a successful person.

What important lessons have you learned during your ROTC track at Ball State?
Nothing good comes easy. The right and morally correct decision is never going to be the easiest decision to make. Doing hard things makes you a better person. Only through struggle and pain, in one way or another, can one experience true growth. The discipline from ROTC has bled into every other area of my life and from that, I can attribute most of my success in academics and my extracurriculars too.

 

Makenzi Thiery: General Studies Major with Criminal Justice and Military Science Minors

What is your branch assignment, and what are your plans post-graduation?
Ordnance. My branch assignment will teach me logistical management, which is an ever-growing field in the civilian world. Upon graduation, I will commission as a Second Lieutenant in the Army as an Ordnance Officer.

How has ROTC enhanced your studies in other academic areas?
ROTC enhances my studies by improving my time management.

What important lessons have you learned during your ROTC track at Ball State?
Be confident!

 

 

Nicholas Combs: Computer Information Systems Major with Military Science Minor

What is your branch assignment, and what are your plans post-graduation?
Active Duty, Signal Corps with a Field Artillery Detail. I plan to complete at minimum my initial contract, if not go until retirement, but I also put in a request to be a Gold Bar Recruiter to come back and assist the program further after graduation.

How has ROTC enhanced your studies in other academic areas?
It has made me understand there are times to buckle down and focus. It allows me to develop ways to build a team, particularly in my higher courses where group projects are key.

What important lessons have you learned during your ROTC track at Ball State?
I learned that picking up on small details that people mention can go a long way in building relationships with your peers. The recruiting operations officer Mr. Dunn was a heavy influence on me when I started the program as a freshman, and consistently seeing him in physical therapy, lab, and around the offices made him an invaluable resource to look to.

 

 

Adam Stachel: Masters in Business Administration with Military Science Minor

What is your branch assignment, and what are your plans post-graduation?
Quartermaster. Being a quartermaster will impact my career because I feel like being in logistics is not only beneficial in the Army, but it is also transferable to the civilian world. My plans after graduation are to either go into the Christian ministry or work full time in the Army National Guard. If I don’t go full time in the National Guard then I will work in the ministry and fulfill my reserve soldier duties.

How has ROTC enhanced your studies in other academic areas?
I have learned about time management because ROTC along with academics and various other things is hard to balance. This has helped me to develop my organization skills as well.

What important lessons have you learned during your ROTC track at Ball State?
ROTC has really enhanced my leadership, critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Throughout my time here, I have held various leadership positions which have allowed me to develop myself. These leadership positions gave me the opportunity to put my skills to the test and enhance skills that maybe I struggled with.

 

 

Marshall Hargrave: Computer Information Technology Major with Military Science Minor

What is your branch assignment, and what are your plans post-graduation?
Signal Corps. My branch assignment relates to my degree, so after I graduate, I hope to find a job in networking somewhere in Indiana.

How has ROTC enhanced your studies in other academic areas?
Completing ROTC alongside my major has been difficult at times, especially with time management. But, it made me more disciplined to stay on top of assignments.

 

 

Jack Roush: Biology Major with Military Science Minor

What is your branch assignment, and what are your plans post-graduation?
Transportation Corps. This branch will open doors to look at a career in logistics and help me understand how to manage others. This could also apply to managing a state-owned property, which is what I would like to do someday.

How has ROTC enhanced your studies in other academic areas?
ROTC helped me stick with my goals of completing my degree and upholding good grades. It gives me leadership and teamwork skills necessary to work in group projects for a lot of my courses.

 

Maddie Ramsell: BA in English and Spanish, Masters in English with Creative writing Concentration

What is your branch assignment, and what are your plans post-graduation?
I have been enlisted Signal in the Indiana National Guard for seven years, and I am staying Guard when I commission. I’ll attend BOLC to be qualified as a Signal officer, which is four months long, then continue to do my drill weekends. I am also attending a PhD program for English in the fall.

How has ROTC enhanced your studies in other academic areas?
I think ROTC has helped me with time management and providing me with a better social life outside of my academic program. Because I am very busy with my degree program, I don’t often find the time to spend quality time with others. ROTC events have helped with that! Waking up early and having to incorporate ROTC obligations into my school schedule has also improved my time management skills.

What important lessons have you learned during your ROTC track at Ball State?
SFC Bergin and Mr. Karbley have influenced me a lot during my time at ROTC. I trained with SFC Bergin for weeks before I attended Cadet Summer Training (CST) and our workout sessions made it possible for me to endure the physical training at CST. Both SFC Bergin and Mr. Karbley have mentored me throughout my time here, taking an interest in my endeavors both ROTC related and not. I am thankful for the program for accepting me even when I arrived in a less than desirable state (I had snapped my femur and underwent surgery to insert a titanium rod) and for believing in me, even when at times it seemed that I wouldn’t be able to heal fast enough to attend CST.