Mercyhurst ROTC cadets rise to physical, mental challenges

Whether rappelling from a helicopter midair or climbing the highest mountain in Taipei, 15 cadets with Mercyhurst University’s Pride of Pennsylvania Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) spent the summer being challenged physically and mentally.

Three cadets—Jared Camp, Theodore Counihan, and Ryan Davey—attended an Air Assault course at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, which is used to train soldiers and cadets in Air Assault operations, sling-load operations, and rappelling.

Of the experience, Davey said, “It helped me grow my leadership skills in the areas of persistence, determination, and the mindset to always keep pushing forward and never to give up. The best part of it all was getting the opportunity to rappel from a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter while being 55 feet in the air.”

Ten cadets graduated from Advance Camp, including Curtis Elder, Hunter Fehl, Kaitlyn Hollederer, Mariz Khalaf, Alyssa Molek, Caiden Mooney, Jack Rowell, Matthew Schroder, Esteban Waldmann, and Jacob Yohman.

Advance Camp is a 35-day training event at Fort Knox designed to develop a cadet’s critical thinking and problem-solving skills and to shape them into tough, adaptable leaders who can thrive in ambiguous and complex environments.

“Advance Camp allowed me to develop my leadership attributes in a stressful environment,” said Molek. “I was able to push myself past my limits mentally and physically.” 

Captain Sergio Franco, assistant professor of Military Science and ROTC instructor at Mercyhurst, has long espoused that “the training a student receives in Army ROTC provides them leadership development, military skills, and career preparation.” Successful completion of the Advance Camp is a prerequisite for commission.

Meanwhile, two cadets participated in Project Global Officer (GO), a nationwide program open to all qualified ROTC students, offering fully funded opportunities in critical language education, overseas study, and cross-cultural experience. GO has provided nearly 6,500 students with opportunities to study culture and 19 languages, both domestically and in 33 countries around the world.

Cadet Jackson Feiock traveled to Taiwan. “I learned to be comfortable outside of what was normal to me,” he said. “I learned to dive headfirst into things that I did not completely understand. I also had the opportunity to climb the highest mountain in the Taipei area. The experience helped me increase my cultural understanding of Taiwan.”

Cadet Lillian English spent her summer at the University of North Georgia learning Russian. “I learned a lot about my learning style and how I needed to adapt my study habits to ensure I learned the material that would normally be covered in two semesters in just six weeks,” she said. “This opportunity has helped me to interact more and become more vocal when in group settings.”

With the start of the fall semester, Franco said two more Mercyhurst cadets—Erich Fuhrman and Aleksander Matusia—accepted three-year scholarships and made their official commitment to serve in the Army as officers after earning their bachelor’s degrees.

Franco said Mercyhurst ROTC is looking for more freshmen and sophomores to join their organization. Further, he noted, there is no service commitment for taking ROTC classes, just the opportunity to develop strong leadership skills. For more information, contact Franco at sfranco@mercyhurst.edu or stop by his office in the library, room 403.