Students who join the Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corp (ROTC) program put in double time as they work to earn their college degrees and graduate as Army officers. From 6 a.m. classes and conditioning, to evaluations at Fort Knox in Kentucky, the committment can be demanding. However Kent State graduates Joe Oleksiak and Cole McDougal say ROTC is where they learned how to become well-rounded and disciplined leaders.
ROTC alumnus 1st Lt. Joe Oleksiak graduated from Kent State University in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in aeronautics. He is currently serving in the Army National Guard as a platoon leader for the 3-238th General Support Aviation Battalion (GSAB) and as a civilian contractor for the U.S. Department of Defense.
Oleksiak entered in the simultaneous membership program as both an Army ROTC cadet and an Ohio National Guard cadet.
“I chose Army ROTC because I was already enlisted in the Ohio Army National Guard,” Oleksiak said. “I enlisted as an aircraft mechanic in the Ohio National Guard, and I was interested in flying for them. My goal was to commission as an aviation officer and be able to fly helicopters, which I do.”
ROTC offered Oleksiak the feeling of connection that is often lost for non-traditional students.
“Coming into college a little bit later doesn't afford that same kind of camaraderie with everybody around you,” Oleksiak said. “ROTC offered me that with always being able to have people around you and having people that you can learn from and teach. That's probably the greatest thing about it. Bringing people together and getting to enjoy time with each other.”
Kent State’s aeronautics program taught Oleksiak “a little bit of everything.” He spent time taking classes for flying, engineering and the business of aviation, which helped lay the foundation for his career.
While ROTC classes taught many practical skills, it was the lessons in leadership that made a profound impact on Oleksiak.
“I'd say ROTC at Kent State prepared me for my career by instilling the principles of leadership, more than anything. It really set me up to be successful where I am now. Leading people and being in charge of people, it's not always about just managing them, it's about building relationships and wanting to teach and develop the people underneath you,” Oleksiak said.
Oleksiak is still connected to the ROTC program and volunteers his time to mentor cadets. From letting cadets shadow him at work to assisting in field exercises and giving them “real experience” with helicopters, Oleksiak is giving back.
“If a cadet chooses to go into the simultaneous membership program, they can be in the Ohio Army National Guard as a cadet as well as ROTC. I'm working with some of the cadets that are currently in ROTC at my units and trying to afford opportunities to try and integrate them into Army Aviation,” Oleksiak said.
ROTC alumnus 2nd Lt. Cole McDougal graduated from Kent State in 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in finance. He is currently serving in the United States National Guard as a platoon leader at Camp James A. Garfield and as a firefighter and paramedic for the city of Green.
If taking classes toward his bachelor’s degree and training with ROTC wasn’t enough of a challenge, McDougal also earned his EMT license and firefighter certification and completed paramedic school before graduating college.
McDougal joined the ROTC as part of a long family legacy in the military, joining his uncle, grandfather and great-grandfather in the service.
“I always wanted to join the military. Ever since I was a kid, it’s something I've always had the calling and the desire to do,” McDougal said. “I love the country. My great-grandpa served in World War II. My grandpa served in the Korean War and Vietnam. My uncle was in the Army. It just felt right.”
Between his undergraduate classes, ROTC and classes and clinicals for paramedic school, McDougal recalled taking a total of 74 credit hours in 14 months during his junior year at Kent State. Although the schedule was grueling, it was worth it, he said.
“I was always encouraged to go to college. My mom's big into education. I enjoyed school, still do, and so ROTC was that perfect mix of both where you can go to college right away and get in the military,” McDougal said.
ROTC taught McDougal many “real-world skills,” but it is the experience he gained in practical leadership still serves him today, he said.
“I've never seen an organization or group or job, for that fact, where you can get those types of leadership opportunities and experience so fast. You're 20, 21 years old and you're already in charge of running a mission with 32 people or running the PT program for the whole semester or even being the Cadet Battalion commander,“ McDougal said.
For McDougal, those years of learning and leadership experience translate into both civilian and military life.
“At my fire department, I'm less than one year on,” McDougal said. “I'm the newest guy, and I feel like ROTC made me a better rookie. It made me able to see why and how my leaders there are doing the things that they are doing, and I think that made me better at my job in the fire service and as a leader in the National Guard.”
As Army ROTC at Kent State continues to shape the leaders of tomorrow, these alumni will continue to make their mark in their communities, in the military and on the next generation of cadets.