Marshall Magazine Summer 2022

Stepp said her college expe rience before and after joining ROTC is like night and day. “Most people in ROTC de scribe me as bubbly and talk ative, but I was extremely shy before I joined,” Stepp recalled. “It’s changed my personal life and career trajectory because it helped me become so much more confident in myself as a person and a leader.” Corey Littreal, PFC Army National Guard, is a freshman biology major from Fayetteville, West Virginia. He was encour aged by an uncle to consider ROTC when he was just in middle school. Just one year into the program, Littreal says ROTC’s emphasis on integrity is a real driver for him. “Integrity, doing the right thing even when no one is watching, is not easy but it distinguishes the good from the great,” Littreal said. An ROTC scholarship lifted a financial burden from Littreal, sav ing him from seeking financial aid. It’s also eased that freshman-year awkwardness. “It’s been a great way to get out of my room and meet people, including a brigadier general who came to campus to speak,” he said. Littreal aspires to eventually ap ply for the Interservice Physician Assistant Program, a two-year pro gram in the Army to become a physician assistant. Because of the pandemic, recruit ing for ROTC has been a challenge. As such, Brewer said she focuses on being flexible and making adjust ments for students. “Before I try to sell anything, I want to knowwhat the student wants out of it. It’s a very personalized approach,” said Brewer, explain ing that she likes to sit down with students and parents in Gullickson

“ This program can transform people and open up a world to them that they might otherwise not get to experience .”

— Ret. Lt. Gen. Anthony Crutchfield U.S. Army

Lt. Gen. Anthony Crutchfield, a former ROTC participant at Marshall, received the 2015 Distinguished Alumnus Award.

Hall while she details everything on a white board. The ROTC program recently received a $30,000 grant from Enterprise through the Marshall University Foundation for a long overdue refresh of their offices. “Now we have a place we can be proud of to meet with students and parents,” said Brewer, who has been with the program for 17 years. “I’ve met so many alumni through the years who give back.” So, Brewer wasn’t surprised to learn that one of them, a retired three-star general, is on standby to help her recruit. “The job market is so competitive right now, and we can’t expect stu dents to stumble across a table like I did,” Crutchfield said. “Recruiting is a challenge nationwide, but I love the potential I see at Marshall. The people in the Huntington region have such a great propensity to serve their country.”

Respect each other’s opinions even if you disagree.” Cadet Beth Stepp of Ripley, West Virginia, was commissioned as an Aviation 2nd Lieutenant on April 29, 2022, and graduated with an M.S. in biology the next day. This summer she will head to Fort Rucker, Alabama, for her Basic Officer Leadership Course and flight school. She described the ROTC program as a “crash course in leadership.” Stepp saw the program as a way to grow as a person and serve her country. “ROTC emphasizes teamwork. Iron sharpens iron, and I’ve had the privilege of studying with some extremely sharp cadets who have helped me immensely,” Stepp said. “We’ve been through a lot together, like cleaning weapons from 06:00 14:00, jumping into the pool from the high dive while blindfolded and holding a fake rifle, and shoot ing at each other with paintballs in the middle of the night. I’ve loved watching new cadets join, seeing their potential from the start and watch ing them grow to become incredibly strong leaders.”

Lalena Price is a freelance writer living in Kenna, West Virginia.

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