Students Who Serve: A look at students entering the military
Written by Minte Christiansen
I don’t know what I’m going to do when I graduate. I don’t even know what I want to do after I graduate. When I ask other students about what they’re going to do, they all freeze in a fearful, if-I-stay-still-she’ll-forget-she-asked sort of way. So to find out that a handful of students here already have post-graduation, multi-year commitments to the military came as somewhat of a surprise.
Two of the many students going into the military after they graduate were able to tell me about their commitments. A senior history major, Audrey Gray, can’t officially accept a commission to join the Marine Corps until she graduates Hillsdale with her degree, but she’s finished nearly all the paperwork and is ready to sign the last form the moment she graduates. Mitchell Irmer, a junior physics major, has already sworn in and committed to six years with the Navy’s nuclear program starting a month after he graduates.
Audrey learned about the Platoon Leaders Class (PLC) program with the Marine Corps at The Source, a college-hosted organization fair at the beginning of the school year to help students find out about campus opportunities. Little did Audrey know, she wouldn’t only find ways to involve herself on campus, but she would find her future career path!
“I didn’t always want to join the military,” Audrey said. “But I thought about maybe going into the Reserves my senior of high school. It turned out the Marines had better options for me while I was still in college.”
She attended Officer Candidate School (OCS), which is a little bit like boot camp, for two summers—after her freshman and sophomore years—and was still able to snag an internship with the FBI over her last college summer.
After her first summer of OCS, Audrey wasn’t sure if she wanted to join. Once she completed her second summer, though, she felt like she was called to join the Marines following graduation. “I really enjoy the discipline of the Marine Corps,” Audrey explained. “I feel like it’s something I’m supposed to do. I don’t know how many years I’ll be in it, but I’ll find out when I get there.”
Having made her decision doesn’t affect her education, though. In fact, Audrey needs a college degree to join the program, and she said it makes school feel a little bit freer knowing she already has a career lined up. Although Audrey has to meet up with others in the PLC program once a month, she’s still able to minor in politics, work in the college theatre’s costume shop, and help bake for her dorm’s weekly teatime. “It’s just fine balancing everything I want to do,” Audrey said. “And I am really excited for the Marines.”
Unlike Audrey, Mitchell always knew he wanted to go into some branch of the military. “My dad was in the Air National Guard while I was a kid, and I looked up to him,” he told me. “He said that if you can give something back to the country, you should, since the country gives a lot to you.”
Mitchell was able to find a way to give back during his sophomore year, when Hillsdale’s Assistant Dean of Men, Chief Jeffrey Rogers, told him about the Nuclear Propulsion Officer Candidate (NUPOC) program. With the help and guidance of a few of Hillsdale’s faculty, Mitchell completed a lengthy application process beginning in October and ending the following July, when he swore in to the Navy for a post-graduation, six-year commitment.
Mitchell also needs a degree to join the NUPOC program, but while Audrey’s degree doesn’t need to be specified, his physics major will apply directly to the work he’ll do. “Since I’ve invested so much into my physics major,” he explained, “I don’t want to graduate and never use it. Being a Navy SWO(N)—Surface Warfare Officer (Nuclear)—is the perfect way for me to use what I’ve studied to do something else.”
Similar to Audrey and her involvement, Mitchell is able to fully apply himself to his role as a student. “My job for the NUPOC program is to stay fit and get good grades,” he said with a shrug. Past that, he’s free to invest himself in his education and different groups on campus, such as the Physics honorary and the Lutheran Society.
Audrey’s and Mitchell’s sense of patriotic duty is inspiring, especially considering the curiosity and drive they show by attending Hillsdale College. They love their time here, but they are also thrilled to use their liberal arts educations after graduation to serve their country. “I’ve been blessed with a really great, free, comfortable life,” Mitchell added, “and I can certainly give a small part of it to making sure the next generation of Americans has the same opportunity for a great, free, comfortable life.”
Minte Christiansen is a sophomore majoring in English with minors in Art and Classical Education. She is involved in the Eta Sigma Phi Classics Honorary and the Residence Life team on campus.