UChicago’s transformative education aims to prepare its students for interdisciplinary thought leadership. But while most graduates of the College lead from within the private, non-profit, arts or academic sectors, UChicago’s Army and Air Force ROTC programs offer comprehensive training to students who aspire to lead within the military.
With physical training, military science and leadership labs taught by current and former officers, Army and Air Force ROTC cadets at UChicago receive world class military and professional training three days a week during the school year.
Both programs offer opportunities for scholarships, which include tuition and a stipend. Upon graduation and completion of their programs, ROTC cadet graduates are commissioned as officers in their respective branches.
Beau Butts, UChicago’s executive director of veterans initiatives, programs and services, who oversees the University’s relationships with both ROTC programs, said the leadership training cadets receive prepares them to make a global impact.
“UChicago is proud to graduate some of the world’s strongest thought leaders and subject matter experts," Butts said. “When we start thinking about where we want students to be leaders, the military and government are prime examples where an investment makes sense. Why wouldn't we want the UChicago education and ethos being taken into national security by those equipped to lead and make a difference.”
Below, hear from three current ROTC cadets (and one who graduated last spring) on their experiences in their respective programs, and how their training has prepared them for future leadership endeavors, in the military and beyond.
Students/alumni:
Amadis Davis – Second-year Air Force ROTC Cadet
Major: East Asian languages and English literature
Hometown: Fort Knox, Ky.
Lola Fisher – Fourth-year Army ROTC Cadet
Major: Political science and East Asian languages & civilizations
Hometown: Southern California
Owen O’Brien – Second-year Air Force ROTC Cadet
Major: Economics and global studies, with a focus on national security
Hometown: Evergreen, Colo.
2d Lt Zach Yung, AB’22 – Air Force ROTC Cadet Alumnus
Major: Chemistry and economics
Hometown: Upstate New York
What drew you to UChicago’s ROTC programs?
Davis: My parents and grandparents were all in the army, so I was exposed to military life very early on. It was almost a given that I was going to go into service for my country. When I had the opportunity to come to UChicago and receive the Air Force ROTC scholarship at the same time, it really did feel like a perfect intersection.
Fisher: I was really attracted to ROTC as a way to grow personally and become a self-assured and effective leader. It is also a great program to meet other students with similar interests. It’s an awesome group of people, and we spend most days of the week together, so you get to know the group well.
Amadis Davis
O’Brien: I have always aspired to be in the military. Researching the different branches and the various specialties within each drew me to Air Force Special Warfare, so I joined ROTC to get the chance to become part of this elite and specialized community in the future.
Yung: Initially, ROTC was a financial-driven decision. They gave me a very generous scholarship. But what encouraged me to stay in the program was the community of people. It was just a really great way for me to stay engaged with my peers and the Chicago area and cultivate my leadership in a unique environment.
How do you manage the time commitment of ROTC activities?
Davis: The time commitment is pretty manageable. It's like another class, really, so if you look at it that way, it's not that bad, but you do have to wake up at 5 a.m. They always say, ‘we want you to be a student first, your academics come first.’ I think that attitude is reflected in everything we do.
O’Brien: How you balance ROTC and rigorous UChicago academics is largely contingent on your individual ability to manage your responsibilities and adequately prepare yourself and plan for each week.
Owen O'Brien
Fisher: ROTC gets you up and started early in the morning, which is really helpful for getting work done in the beginning of the day. I find that ROTC helps me manage my time, because if I have to get something done under a time crunch, I learn how to plan it out.
What does ROTC training entail and how has it gone for you?
Davis: It’s about an hour of some type of physical training, then we have our lecture taught by a commissioned officer that covers a lot of different topics, including current events. And then we have a drill lab portion that covers more practical skills.
O’Brien: There are also extracurriculars within ROTC outside of training. I am an editor of the Warhawk Chronicle (our detachment's newspaper) and am a member of the Det 195 AFROTC Honor Guard. I am also involved in the planning of numerous detachment events such as this semester's Field Leadership Exercise.
Yung: At first, I didn’t see myself or my goals aligning with the military, however, as I progressed in the program, I realized that it was very relevant and enriching to many facets of my college experience.
I was the Cadet Wing Commander in Fall 2021, and being that ROTC is a cadet-run program, I was at the helm of the ship, spearheading the operations, making a lot of big decisions, and leading a large group of about 60 cadets. I learned so many hard but valuable lessons about listening to your people, taking ownership of your mistakes, and learning how to spearhead organization-level changes constructively.
It helped me grow personally and professionally and sparked a journey of self-discovery. I can say now that Air Force ROTC is definitely one of my proudest accomplishments of my college career and continuing with the program was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
What are or were your personal goals for your ROTC training?
Davis: The purpose of it, for me, is to make sure that I am ready for when I am commissioned as an officer after I graduate from College. Wherever the Air Force puts me, I will serve. But I think I would like to do some foreign or military intelligence. I'd love to be stationed in Korea since I’m studying the language.
My long term goal is to serve for a couple of years in my commission, and then get permission to go to law school before continuing service through the judge advocate general officer program.
O’Brien: The most basic goal for every ROTC cadet is to become a better leader and a better follower. I hope to make a career in the Air Force by competing to be selected into an Air Force Special Warfare AFSC. For me, that is the crowning goal of my AFROTC experience.
Fisher: I will be a Second Lieutenant in the Army Reserves and either go to grad school for political science or work full time in national security.
Lola Fisher
What is the ROTC student community like on campus?
O’Brien: AFROTC is like a family. You know that every person in the Detachment has your back, from the commander to the newest cadet. It takes a special kind of person to make the necessary commitment to be a successful officer cadet, and this awareness of each other's competence and dedication is conducive to forming positive relationships.
The training environment is fun- after all, we wouldn't be making such a time commitment if we did not want to be there. I met some of my best friends in ROTC and the training environment is very conducive to building positive relationships both personal and professional.
Is there anything about (or anyone within) UChicago's ROTC program that you particularly appreciate?
Davis: I think it's the emphasis on personal success. The best part of being in ROTC here is having Beau Butts as my academic adviser. He’s very supportive, and it's really nice to have an adviser who's been through the military process and can relate and give advice on getting the most out of the UChicago experience.
O’Brien: The Detachment commander, Col. Michael Povilus, took my oath of enlistment when I contracted during fall 2021. That was the first time I gained a full appreciation of the undertaking I had just started, and I had never been more excited for my future in the Air Force than I was at that moment.
From then on, ROTC became the high point and the focal point of my week as I understood that what I am doing at the Detachment is real, has real consequences for the future, and that I was well on my way to a future of serving the United States as an Air Force officer.
Fisher: From what I know about other programs, this group is a lot smaller and more intimate. I think it makes the program better for both professional and personal development. Because of the small size, a lot of cadets were able to step into leadership roles as first or second years, which really helped prepare me to step into leadership roles as a third year.
The small size also makes us able to connect across classes. Relationships with older cadets can be really helpful both as a new student in the College and a new cadet.
