I am a senior at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. I’m pursuing my bachelor of science in business administration with a concentration in management. I’m fascinated by business and the way our economy operates. National service is also very important to me, so I decided to join ROTC.

When I commission in May, I will be a third generation military officer. My grandfather was an Armor officer in the US Army, serving mainly in Korea. My father is a former Naval Medical Officer. I grew up knowing the importance of living up to the ideals of our national character.

Army ROTC is not the typical college experience. When I wake up at 0500 to get ready for PT or leadership lab, many of my peers are either still up studying or dead asleep. Most don’t know much about the military, given that the US Armed Forces make up a smaller and smaller percentage of our national population.

Getting up early or giving up my weekends for field training is all worth it in the end, though. I’ve earned a full-ride scholarship to a private university that would have cost $160,000 if I’d had to pay for it on my own. I am grateful everyday to have been afforded this opportunity.

When I receive my commission into the US Army Reserve in May 2011, I will fully understand the rewards that accompany the sacrifices both my family and I have made to earn the duty of leading America’s most precious resource: her sons and daughters.