Savannah Pennington
Staff Writer
The Army Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) at Florida Southern College is one of the top-rated ROTC programs in the Southeastern United States. The Moccasin Battalion has consistently ranked in the top 10% of ROTC programs by summer training evaluations. Alumni of the Moccasin Battalion include multiple general officers, several members of the FSC Board of Trustees and leaders around the globe.
Florida Southern College ROTC provides students with the tools to succeed in and after college. FSC ROTC awards scholarships to students based on merit and grades, not financial need. Upon completion of ROTC and graduation from the Moccasin Battalion, students will graduate from college with a degree and a commission as a second lieutenant in the United States Army.
Susan Yuan is a freshman here at Florida Southern College who wanted to get involved with the Moccasin Battalion and was awarded a full-ride scholarship in return. From Saugerties, New York, Yuan is a nursing major who plans to commission as a second lieutenant, attend a Basic Officer Leader Course (BOLC) and then work as an active duty nurse after graduating from FSC.
Yuan was not involved with Junior ROTC before coming to FSC. Her father and uncle, however, both served in the army and brought up the idea to her after Yuan was accepted into FSC’s direct nursing program. Originally, Yuan was hesitant to sign up for the ROTC program, as she had no prior knowledge about it. But once she got involved and met other students, she felt more comfortable with her decision.
Even though the Battalion doesn’t rely on financial need, Yuan was still worried about what most college students stress about: how to pay for college. So, she decided to give her all to the Moccasin Battalion. ROTC Cadets must maintain a good GPA, consistently demonstrate critical thinking skills and balance course workload and extracurricular activities.
“I had to not only maintain a good GPA, but also be in good physical standings, which is where morning physical training (PT) came in,” Yuan said. “It prepared me for the Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT) [which is taken] every two months, which I had to pass to receive this scholarship, along with field training exercises, where I go out to the shrubs with the Battalion and put what I’ve learned in the classroom and lab to use.”
Once she passed all the requirements, the scholarship was awarded to Yuan on April 3, totaling $158,280. Yuan joins fellow FSC recipients Raven Alonso, Robert King, Kelsey Scott and Haley Steiner, all of whom were awarded ROTC scholarships in the past ten years.
“I am really thankful…[with] the direct nursing program, where I will be in a clinical setting come next semester, and after college, I won’t have too much student debt…and I’ll have a guaranteed job after I graduate,” Yuan stated.
By providing students with various scholarships at varying levels, FSC’s ROTC program can help remove some of the financial burden many students must take on while in college. Due to Yuan’s commitment to ROTC, her dedication to education, and her passion for helping others, her full-ride scholarship is well deserved.
