College is a time to figure out what you want to do for the rest of your life. It is the stepping stone towards a lifelong career. But for students here at WS, their career is how they will get through college, applying for a Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) scholarship.
People don’t realize that after college applications are sent to schools, there are additional waves of scholarship applications that follow right after.
Some students choose to apply for an ROTC scholarship, where, if accepted, the young men and women get to go to college for a significantly lower price in exchange for a few years of service in the armed forces. By applying to three of the four major armed forces branches in the United States Military (Army, Navy, Air Force) many students view this as a way to serve their country and receive a quality education.
Two of West Springfield’s own, seniors Trier Mortlock and Ryan Sylvia, have already gotten accepted to receive a scholarship to a few of their dream schools. Mortlock has received three full rides to colleges in California: University of Southern California, UC-Berkeley, and UCLA. Sylvia has received three-quarter scholarships to the University of South Carolina and Clemson University, but has the advantage of being able to transfer the money to an SEC school.
“I’ve always wanted to go to college in California, to be in the Army and follow in my dad’s footsteps and ROTC was the most logical way to be able to afford it. Now that I have a chance to combine that with a quality education, it’s like the best of both worlds,” says Mortlock. “Living out there before, I fell in love with the state, and can’t wait to go back.”
The application process for an ROTC scholarship is a difficult one. On top of the generic information such as where you live and your grades, an application also includes passing a physical; where one is essentially deemed physically fit enough to be a soldier, and several very personal letters of recommendation from those who know you best.
“It was worse applying for the scholarship than actually applying to college, because of all the things that you have no control over. You’re either good enough or not, there are no maybes in ROTC,” says Sylvia.
Even once a student has been accepted for a scholarship, he/she still needs to be accepted to the school that the scholarship has been given for.
“Trust me, I still feel the same amount of anxiety that everyone else feels. All the schools are good options; I just wish that I knew if I’ve gotten in or not. Once that’s set, I can relax and enjoy senior year,” says Sylvia.
Making a decision that not only affects the present but also your future career can be daunting. Everyone that applies to ROTC has their own reasons to follow that path. Some do it for the opportunity to serve their country. Some do it for the stability and knowledge that their future is taken care of.
“Attending my dream schools in the south wouldn’t be possible without this scholarship,” says Sylvia. “Now because of this, I can go where I’ll truly be happy and have a career set up as soon as I grab that diploma. Doesn’t get better than that.”