There are so many opportunities that college students have to achieve an amazing level of success, lifelong friendships, a high level of physical fitness, knowledge to get you through your personal and professional life, and ways to gain connections for a career after college. But how many opportunities are there to wrap all of those up into one academic minor? Not many. A minor in military science and leadership at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point will allow to you access all of these opportunities and so much more.
A minor in military science and leadership (ROTC) at UW-Stevens Point is a 28-credit minor that involves physical fitness classes, leadership classes, hands-on labs and many life lessons. Check out the top 10 reasons to do ROTC at UW-Stevens Point as told by Pointer ROTC cadets.
10. Service to my country and family.
The obvious reason to be a part of ROTC is to serve your country. The world is a scary place and knowing that you can help make the world a better place is a very gratifying feeling. Protecting the freedoms and people you care about give you a sense of purpose.
– CDTs Hoh and Titus
9. It’s pretty hard-core
To be a part of an organization that is responsible for so many amazing accomplishments throughout history is a pretty cool statement to make. Proving college student stereotypes wrong not only makes you look good but makes the Army and UW-Stevens Point look good. Plus who wouldn’t like the opportunity to shoot big guns and be a finger in the fist of America’s military might?!
– CDT Ulrich
8. Best of both worlds.
Being able to pursue a civilian education and a military career at the same time is a huge benefit. These two unique opportunities set you up for a lifetime of success and adventure. You can experience the college life while also gaining skills to give you the best possible future.
– CDT Dombeck
7. Lessons, lessons, lessons.
ROTC classes teach cadets how to plan and organize events, people and situations. The earlier you are able to learn these valuable skills, the better. These lessons can not only be carried from college to your military career but also to your personal and professional life.
– CDT Boville
6. Career advancement.
Having military experience in college shows future employers that you are up for the challenge that life has in store for you. ROTC will set you ahead of other prospective applicants. Being an officer in the military, shows employers that you are already more mature, organized and experienced than the majority of the population. The leadership positions you will be placed in will show future employers that you are ready for the challenge and you will be set up for quick career advancement.
– CDT Klatt
5. Monetary benefits.
Student loans are every college student’s biggest fear. ROTC provides college students with an opportunity to pay for most, if not all, of your college education. Monthly stipends in combination with tuition/room and board assistance and a book stipend (which is pocket money since we rent our books here at UWSP) makes up for the cost of a college education. No student loans = a happy college graduate!
– CDT Newell
4. You get to be a role model.
We all have our reasons for joining, for a lot of us, we are inspired by a military leader who has shown us how to be a good leader. Whatever your inspiration for joining, ROTC can transform you into a leader who can inspire others to do the right thing. You, too, can have a positive impact on someone’s life by joining ROTC!
– CDT Schultz
3. Sense of pride.
Being able to say that you are in the military comes with such an amazing sense of pride and accomplishment. Although there are most certainly tough times, the good times make it all worth it. People come to you for help and assistance in all things college. Knowing that you are a part of something so great makes you walk to class with a little more confidence than you would otherwise.
– CDT Workman
2. It’s bigger than you think.
ROTC allows you to be a part of something bigger than yourself. Knowing that you are signing up for something that is potentially dangerous is a pretty risky thing to do. Doing it knowing the risks involved shows that you are willing to put others before yourself. Your selflessness and courage will not go unnoticed. ROTC allows you to better yourself as an individual and become a more well-rounded person overall.
– CDTs Irish and Scheffler
1. More than just a group of Cadets.
Being a part of such an involved program means spending time with the same people for long periods of time. This can be detrimental to the success of a program. The Cadets in the UW-Stevens Point ROTC program are more than just people who share a military science and leadership minor, we share our lives together, we are a family. We do things together outside of the program; we play intramural sports together, go to dinner together, have movie nights together, compete together and most importantly we go through this crazy thing called life … together.
– CDT Newell
The list of reasons to participate in ROTC at UW-Stevens Point could go on and on; these are just a few of the main points. Thanks for reading, I hope you got a lot out of it!
Until next time! Pointers Lead the Way!
Cadet Newell
Rilee Newell is a cadet in the UW-Stevens Point ROTC program. She is majoring in sociology with an emphasis in deviance and social control with minors in military science and peace studies.