Nygel Williams, sophomore at SLU

We recently had the chance to speak with a promising sophomore, Nygel Williams. Nygel is majoring in athletic training, but is also on the pre-med track and plans to be a medic in the Navy. He will serve as treasurer of the Student Veterans Association here at SLU next semester.

Q. Where are you from?

A. All over the place, to be honest. My dad was in the service. I was born in Columbus, Ohio, but we didn’t stay there very long. From there, it was just all over the country and even to Japan for three years. Ever since I could remember, I was on a base.

Q. What made you choose SLU?

A. When I came for my visit, I just loved the environment. Everyone was so excited and so helpful and it seemed like they genuinely wanted me to be here.

They had the program I wanted. Not many schools have the athletic training program I’m in.

And then they worked well with my dad and me – he gave me a couple years of his GI Bill and SLU is very accommodating – just great and easy to work with. SLU may look really expensive upfront if you’re just browsing through, but they were so helpful with their financial aid packet. It ended up being cheaper than almost every other school I applied to. SLU’s very helpful and you just have to keep that in mind. You know that you’re getting a quality education.

Q. What part of the Athletic Training (AT) program at SLU appealed to you the most?

A. The program here is entry level. As soon as you’re accepted in high school, you’re accepted into the five-year’s master’s program. So you get your bachelor’s degree in four years and then the next year you get your master’s degree. And if you so choose, you’re off to the real world. I know a lot of schools have a pre-track for it and then you have to apply to graduate school, which would be an extra year to get your master’s. It’s nice that you can get it all done here.

They’re very helpful and they’re very well connected. I know our program here is connected with all the major teams: the Cardinals, the Blues and the Rams. And we have our own Division I program here.

Q. What’s the best part of the program?

A. The program director, Tony Breitbach is a great guy. He’s really personable. He’s really nice. He really cares about you succeeding and getting through the program. He takes the time to sit down with you every semester to see how it’s going even though he doesn’t need to do that. I really appreciate that. He’s just a great guy. He’s definitely the best part.

Q. What do you find most challenging?

A. I wish someone would had told me how much work it’s going to take. I always thought I’d do my classes and get my degree and go get my job. But really you come here and you want to make friends and then there’s going to be clubs you want to join and then there’s going to be classes on top of that. If someone would have sat me down and told me, “You need to get your time management skills set,” that probably would have been the best advice I could’ve heard.

Q. What do you like best about SLU?

A. The thing I really, really like is that I feel like SLU lives out the Jesuit mission they talk about. I don’t know any other school where two times a year they get most of the student body and most of the faculty together to go out and do service. I haven’t heard about that anywhere else. It’s been a great experience for me and I think it would be a great experience for anyone else.

Q. What campus activities are you involved with?

A. I’m highly involved in Alpha Phi Omega. It’s great – I love doing all the service. I’m also a resident adviser in Fusz Hall and a peer educator for the Student Health Advocates/Peer Educator (S.H.A.P.E.). In addition, I am a member of the SLU Athletic Training Society and am also serving as treasurer for the SLU Veterans Association. I also volunteer weekly at the local veteran’s hospital as a nurse assistant.

Q. What do you do for fun?

A. I try to keep myself in shape. I work out five to six days a week because I am planning on joining the military. I need to keep my fitness up so I can survive basic training.

Q. Who is your hero?

A. Definitely my dad. My whole life, I’ve always looked up to him. He’s done so many great things. He’s a really smart, really great man and I just hope to one day be close to what he is.

Q. What’s the most interesting thing about you?

A. The people who know me, I guess my humor jumps out to them first. I just try to make people laugh. I feel that’s the best way to get connected with people. There’s nothing you can share better than a laugh.

Taylor Baum, sophomore at SLU

I had the pleasure of interviewing Taylor Baum, ROTC cadet and exceptional SLU student. Read on to learn a little bit about her experience with SLU and ROTC.

Q. Where are you from?

A. St. Louis (South City)

Q. Why did you come to SLU?

A. SLU has a very good medical/pre-med program and it is a well-renowned school. I know that they have a very good science program and figured it would be a good choice.

Q. What are you majoring in and what will you be doing with your degree?

A. I am a psych/pre-med major and I will like to go to medical school and become some kind of doctor.

Q. What are your interests and hobbies?

A. I do research at SLU. I work in an evolutionary botany lab. I spend a lot of time studying. Besides that I like to relax with friends.

Q. How did you become interested in Army ROTC?

A. I like to be challenged constantly – physical, mental, emotional – and I feel like ROTC encompasses all of those different things and is making me a better person. I really like that. And I think the Army has tons to offer, like health benefits and travel. I knew I wanted to go to college first so ROTC was an obvious choice.

Q. How have you benefited from your ROTC training?

A. I’ve definitely been more confident. My interpersonal skills have been better, like leadership obviously. Sending out emails and talking to people and giving them all the information necessary, like every detail and realizing how much you have to tell people, just things like that.

Q. Would you recommend Army ROTC to incoming college freshmen and high school seniors? If so, why?

A. Yes. I definitely would. Obviously I would tell them it is a huge time commitment because it is more than I thought it would be. Just like I said it made me a better person and more confident. The things that I have learned are amazing and I have a ton more to learn too. I really look forward to coming to stuff like I have met a lot of good friends through ROTC and a lot of really awesome people.

If you would like more information about the ROTC at SLU, visit: http://www.slu.edu/military-student-resources-home/rotc-programs.

Ben Eldredge, senior at SLU

Here on the military student resources blog, we plan to spotlight students and faculty from time to time to give you their SLU perspective.

I recently interviewed Ben Eldredge, ROTC cadet and outstanding SLU student. Read on to learn a little bit about his experience with SLU and ROTC.

Q. Why did you choose SLU?

A. I chose SLU for two reasons: it’s a Jesuit institution, and it was affordable, thanks to the financial package that they offered me.

Q. Are you considering going to law school with the intention of getting into the Army’s Judge Advocate General (JAG) Corps?

A. I was considering that but a couple of friends who just graduated and wanted to go JAG learned that the acceptance rate into JAG was 6 percent and that ROTC graduates did not have an advantage. They advised me to hold off. With that in mind, I have requested the Military Intelligence Branch. Outside of the Army, I don’t know what I will do, maybe go into politics.

Q. What are your interests and hobbies?

A. I like to work out a lot – lifting, running, swimming – but the thing I like to do most is rock climbing down at Upper Limits downtown. I just went to the Army’s basic mountaineering course and it really helped me fall in love with rock climbing. I got all my gear and a membership in Upper Limits and have been going at it about 3 times a week.

Q. How did you become interested in Army ROTC?

A. I really didn’t have any interest when I was applying to college. So I came to college and in the first semester something started appealing to me about it. It was the job security, the structure, most of all it was probably the feeling of doing something bigger than me and doing something important. I did not just want to get out of college and get an entry level job or unpaid internship and feel that I was not really contributing to anything.

Q. Would you recommend Army ROTC to incoming college freshmen and high school seniors? If so, Why?

A. Conditionally, yes. I am not going to lie, it is not for everyone. It’s tough and at times it definitely sucks. But if you’re the type of person that likes doing things that will make you better physically, mentally and socially, I would definitely recommend that you try it. You push yourself. What you get out of it is exponentially greater than what you put into it. It is a fantastic experience and I would recommend it to just about anyone who wants to do it. I would not tell anyone they can’t do it.

Q. Anything else you would like to add?

A. In terms of advice to prospective ROTC cadets, you can give it a trial run and see if it is for you. Your MS I (freshman) year the ROTC is not going to be overly challenging, especially if you are non-contracted cadet. It is a good way to see if it is for you. A lot of the cadets coming in for the next few years are not going to be scholarship cadets as the funding is shrinking so it gives more incentive for students to just give it a try.