Thursday, December 10, 2009

VT Corps of Cadets Insights: Christopher's Story

By Christopher, a junior in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences
Major: History

When I started looking at schools, the military began to appeal to me. I had no experience with the military (my dad had detached from the Navy long before I was born and my high school lacked a JROTC program), so I was nervous to commit to anything I wouldn't enjoy doing for the next decade of my life.

I started reading about the corps of cadets at Virginia Tech, already high on my list for its engineering program and location in the mountains. I read that they had a civilian leadership option that allowed students to participate without incurring a commitment upon graduation. I was blown away! Military training without mandatory service? What a deal!

Three and a half years later, I'm still a civilian-track cadet after being medically disqualified from military service, but because of the opportunities provided to me by the corps and Tech, I'm just as prepared as any of my military-track classmates to organize and lead. It's also allowed me to get the superb training almost exclusive to military schools in a big, state school environment. I'm very grateful for what I've found in myself through the corps and I intend to use it to bring out the best in everyone I work with in the future.

No comments:

Post a Comment