NJROTC-CC
5-Year Member
- Joined
- May 6, 2019
- Messages
- 2,574
DS graduated high school in May. He had his heart set on going to the University of South Florida in Tampa. Due to a 30% increase in applications, he could only get acceptance to start in January 2023. That is what he decided to do. It ruined his chance to start NROTC or NROTC-MO this year as a college programmer, which he was planning to do. If he still wants to do NROTC, it will have to wait until Fall 2023. However, his plans and thoughts have been changing a lot. He has pledged a fraternity, Phi Kappa Gamma ("Fiji") even though he is not officially a student. And, he has been promoted three times and is now Assistant Director of Night Operations at Chik-Fil-A. He has moved out and found an apartment with room mates near campus and is paying his own rent. He is the most independent kid in my family, including his sibling and many of his cousins.
I originally thought the GAP semester was a terrible idea, mainly because it disrupted his NROTC plans. However, it is allowing him to find his own way and decide on his own what he wants to do with his life. Not everyone always knows from an early age what they want to do for a career. My best friend, who I have known since we were in pre-school in 1963, always knew he wanted to be a surgeon. And, that is what he ended up doing and is still doing. However, many of us don't figure out "what we want to do when we grow up" until much later. Or, ever. In DS's case, the gap semester is working out well. I think. Getting the fraternity pledging out of the way this fall is great because he will have 100% time to focus on his studies in January when he start school at USF (he is taking 3 classes and community college now.) And, he will have time to figure out if NROTC is what he really wants to do. After four years of Junior NROTC in High School as XO of his unit and Florida State Drill Team Champion, I think he has had a enough of military training for a while and needs a break. He is a natural born leader. He was a leader in high school, he is a leader at his job, and he was just elected pledge class president. Frankly - - and I mean no disrespect - - I don't know how much he would get out of NROTC. If he wants to serve his country, and I think he does, he may have to find another way. Maybe politics with his personality. Whatever he decides is o.k. I am just glad that he is taking control of his own life.
I originally thought the GAP semester was a terrible idea, mainly because it disrupted his NROTC plans. However, it is allowing him to find his own way and decide on his own what he wants to do with his life. Not everyone always knows from an early age what they want to do for a career. My best friend, who I have known since we were in pre-school in 1963, always knew he wanted to be a surgeon. And, that is what he ended up doing and is still doing. However, many of us don't figure out "what we want to do when we grow up" until much later. Or, ever. In DS's case, the gap semester is working out well. I think. Getting the fraternity pledging out of the way this fall is great because he will have 100% time to focus on his studies in January when he start school at USF (he is taking 3 classes and community college now.) And, he will have time to figure out if NROTC is what he really wants to do. After four years of Junior NROTC in High School as XO of his unit and Florida State Drill Team Champion, I think he has had a enough of military training for a while and needs a break. He is a natural born leader. He was a leader in high school, he is a leader at his job, and he was just elected pledge class president. Frankly - - and I mean no disrespect - - I don't know how much he would get out of NROTC. If he wants to serve his country, and I think he does, he may have to find another way. Maybe politics with his personality. Whatever he decides is o.k. I am just glad that he is taking control of his own life.