Hi, this is Wayne again with a topic “In Service of the Nation”.
Chloe BROWN – Sometimes I think about it like what, if I didn’t do, ROTC. Like oh, I had so much free time., THOMAS EDELMAN, Obviously, Air Force ROTC takes up a big portion of my time outside of class. JULIANA SILLDORFF, There’s, definitely a level of sacrifice to commissioning And to joining the military., It’s just it’s a whole different world.. Well, everyone who’s at MIT that hears that I’m in ROTC they’re like oh, my gosh, that’s super intense., That’s a big time, commitment. CHLOE BROWN And then everyone who knows that I’m in ROTC and then finds out that I go to MIT also has that, oh, my Gosh, like you, must be really smart., So it kind of goes both ways., But yeah.
People are generally surprised one way or the other when they find out about the other part of my life. JULIANA SILLDORFF. The combination of ROTC with the MIT curriculum has been difficult.. I won’t lie., It feels like I have kind of a full-time job, in addition to being a full-time student at a pretty difficult institution., But it’s really inspiring to be around a group of people that is so motivating and sort of has the same ambitions as you.
The same, I guess value system., THOMAS EDELMAN. We spend so much time together that we become friends. Because you’re spending 12 to 20 hours a week, working together and spending time together and all working towards the same goal. You get really close. And you learn so much about what drives other the people. Why they’re here? Where they come from their backgrounds and what drives them to serve.? Ian WAITZ MIT has had military science classes since we first opened our doors in 1865. And for us the ROTC students represent a very special cohort.. These are tremendously talented students who have also made a commitment to serve their country very early in their life..
Mit students tend to pursue lots of different things with passion, whether that’s in terms of scholarship or athletics or music, or a whole variety of clubs and activities.. The ROTC students put a significant fraction of their own sort of discretionary energy outside of classes and other things into learning how to become leaders in service of the nation., And it’s inspiring that they’re doing this for all of us. JULIANA. Silldorff There’s sort of a set of general requirements that are going to be the same for every single year.
You are in the program.. The first thing is PT physical training.. We have that twice a week at 6 to 7 AM. CHLOE BROWN.
We had them on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and they are from 7 to 8, AM in the morning. THOMAS EDELMAN. We’Ll have PT twice a week. Right now, it’s Wednesday and Friday mornings from 7 to 8, AM., JULIANA, SILLDORFF And then right after PT.
We go into our Naval science, classes., CHLOE BROWN. Additionally, we have a weekly class., THOMAS EDELMAN. We also have Air Force class.. You have to learn time management.. You have to learn really good time management skills to be able to succeed.
Juggling both being an MIT student and being an Air Force. Rotc, you learn to prioritize things.. You learn to finish the most important most pressing things: first.
CHLOE BROWN And the army. Also teaches you a lot of discipline., So you’re getting up early to work. Out.. You have these events that you require to go. To. You’re required to dress and act in a certain way when you’re in uniform, which then I think can carry over into your MIT life., Not procrastinating, staying physically fit things like that.
PEDRO ALMEIDA. The experience itself at MIT was certainly demanding from a time perspective., Even as a cadet, you start figuring out that there were sacrifices that you have to make to serve.. I think one of the things that I took away is that you have to constantly remind yourself of the why, behind your sacrifice., Why are you sacrificing. And then those reasons for your sacrifices grow in importance as you move on through your service., And it also teaches Character and that’s something that I think that was something that I learned and was exposed to more at ROTC – that I also carried throughout my career. JULIANA SILLDORFF. Rotc training is definitely going to play a big role in at least my immediate job as a Naval officer..
I’Ve had a lot of specific training about becoming a submarine officer specifically.. So after I graduate, I will be going down to Charleston for nuclear power school in order to learn how to operate the nuclear reactor on board the submarine. THOMAS EDELMAN.
I want to fly a fighter. Jet. Always wanted to.. That would be the coolest thing in the world., So I’m never going to give up on that one. CHLOE BROWN. So when I graduate I will be joining the Army Reserves as a military intelligence. Officer., I’m going to be joining a unit called the 75th Innovation Command., It’s more like innovative, more centered around technology, and things like that which is actually going to be fabulous because I have a STEM degree from MIT.. So it’s kind of right up my alley.. I definitely am super grateful that I was able to come to this school to come to MIT..
I’Ve learned so much. I’ve met so many amazing people. And on the whole ROTC has just added to that.. I got to do things that a normal person, my age, would never get to do., So I’ve been very blessed.
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