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At the beginning of the summer before my senior year of high school, my parents and I started exploring potential colleges. Because of my initial interest in , my dad found a camp hosted by ӣ����Ƶ in Vermont called Future Leader Camp (FLC). I had never heard of ӣ����Ƶ or even known what a senior military college was, but my parents believed this would be a great chance for me to see if a military lifestyle suited me. Little did I know, this experience would change the course of my life.

On my first day of FLC, I was terrified — so much so that I didn’t want to leave my room, not even to use the restroom. I was thousands of miles away from home in Portland, Oregon, surrounded by strangers in an unfamiliar place. It was the first time I truly felt alone. That night, I called my parents and told them that I thought this was a mistake, that maybe, this type of life wasn’t meant for me after all.

Finding Connection, Confidence, and Camaraderie

It wasn’t until the third day that things began to change. I finally got the chance to start socializing with my fellow participants, who were all going through the same experience. It was easy to connect with others going through the same experience I was. Throughout the two-week session, we did physical training, leadership activities, rappelling, rock-climbing, and much more. 

My favorite memory from that first year was the FTX, a three-day field exercise at Frosted Gold. There, my squad and I grew closer and I experienced a feeling of camaraderie that is hard to replicate anywhere else. When the session ended, saying goodbye was difficult. What I initially hated became an experience I almost didn’t want to leave. It was at this camp that I met some of my closest friends at ӣ����Ƶ.

Choosing ӣ����Ƶ and Returning with Purpose

During my senior year, I received a . After my experience at FLC, I knew that a traditional college experience wasn’t for me. I applied to ӣ����Ƶ, the University of Oregon, Texas A&M, and the University of North Georgia. Ultimately, I chose ӣ����Ƶ and returned to FLC as a corporal before becoming a Rook.

This time, I wasn’t just a participant. While I still completed all the same activities, I had more freedom and responsibilities. I was expected to serve as a friendly intermediary to new participants. In this role, I was able to support the participants who were struggling and encourage them to continue, as it gets better. Here, I reconnected with friends and cadre from my first session and was able to experience new leadership styles.

Having attended FLC twice, which previews life as a Rook, I was better prepared than many others in my class when I became one. I already knew the basics of drill and ceremony, how to make a rack, and other knowledge that was new to most Rooks. This allowed me to support others in my platoon who were learning. My class had a lot of familiar faces from FLC, and I was able to reconnect with them.

I chose to attend FLC for a third time, this time as cadre. As a rising sophomore and Squad Leader, my goal was to recreate the positive experience I had for those going through it now. Understanding how overwhelming a new environment can be, I was able to guide and mentor my squads to prepare them well for their freshman year. That summer, I also developed my own distinct leadership style and took the opportunity to try new approaches as a leader.