Sept. 25, 2024
ROTC freshman cohort is Ferris State University’s largest, program gains through collaboration and student interest
The Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program at Ferris State University (ROTC) welcomed a record 33-freshman cohort for fall 2024 semester.
A Reserve Officer Training Corps cadet fires a Howitzer to signal a Ferris State score at Top Taggart Field on Saturday, Sept. 7. The ROTC says their 2024 freshman cohort has a record 33 students beginning their training and education on the Big Rapids campus. (Image courtesy Ferris ROTC)
Program leaders said the program is growing as students learn about the skills they can learn at Ferris State while making plans to serve their country.
“We are proud that May 2024 alumna Alexandra Kachur finished ninth in the ROTC National Order of Merit list, which included more than 6,000 cadets,” Recruiting Operations Officer Randy Wright said. “She recently had her first opportunity to take the controls of a helicopter in flight school and is on her way to becoming a pilot. Cole Flint was 52nd in that ranking and is in the Basic Officer Leader Course. Each of them plans to move on to active military duty.”
Wright said their finishes are the highest for Ferris State ROTC cadets he is aware of, though the program has had others make the top 10 percent occasionally and often places individuals in the top 20 percent.
ROTC students have a wide range of opportunities, including firing a Howitzer at Ferris football games, achieving expertise in marksmanship, with Military Science courses and emphasis on excellence in physical fitness.
ROTC students can opt for tuition or room and board support while receiving stipends for personal expenses and textbooks. Additional scholarship opportunities are also available.
“This year’s freshman cohort includes several students from Detroit. That is a new element of participation for us,” Wright said. “Many of these students will pursue degrees in the College of Technology, but others intend to become nurses or seek careers in criminal justice.”
Wright said College of Business Dean Logan Jones has provided an excellent location for their offices to improve opportunities to meet prospective students. He also noted successful outreach to recruit students.
“We had a wonderful spot at Ferris’ orientation sessions to engage students this summer and I made from 25 to 30 high school visits in the last year, where we could highlight academic programs and the benefits of joining ROTC,” Wright said. “Those visits gave us a nice portion of the cohort who made specific declarations to join us at Ferris.”
Those cadets commissioned as second lieutenants in active duty receive starting salaries of $50,000 and a benefits package.
Ferris State’s ROTC program celebrated its centennial several years ago, and archival records show cadets were active in a response to the 1919 Mercy Hospital fire, months after the peak of the national Influenza epidemic.