Weinberg freshman Aaron Orbeck’s grandfather served in the Marine Corps. Now, as part of Northwestern’s Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program, Orbeck hopes to follow in his footsteps and serve in the military.

“I felt like this path will be most applicable to my life goals,” he said. “I’m exploring everything, and it’s good to be getting a degree.”

Orbeck is one of seven freshmen and 10 total NU students in the program who are training to join the military after graduation. In exchange for their service, cadets receive partial or full scholarships to the University.

As a part of his training schedule, Orbeck wakes up at 5:30 a.m. sharp, every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday for Army ROTC physical therapy, an intensive morning workout regimen on campus.

Outside of physical therapy, ROTC members also take a military science class and participate in weekly labs at Loyola University Chicago with ROTC members from five other Chicago-area universities. During the labs, they apply skills like military formations and operations that they learn in the classroom.

For Weinberg senior Nico Moralez, labs are an opportunity for him to practice his leadership, which he said is important for the Army Reserve.

“We get prepared to actually perform well when we serve,” said Moralez, whose parents were both army officers. “That’s what we’re working on.”

After graduating the program, ROTC members can choose whether to join the Army for four years of active duty or sign up for eight years in the Reserve. In the Reserve, they participate in two weeks a year of required training and serve for one weekend each month. Orbeck said he prefers the Reserve because it allows him to pursue a civilian job right after graduation. Moralez hopes to attend medical school.

Moralez serves as the command sergeant major, which has increased his time commitment towards ROTC. He calls it “running everything” because his position requires that he create plans for the younger cadets to follow.

His close relationship to other ROTC members encouraged him to take on a leadership role.

“When I was a freshman, I really looked up to my senior because he showed me the ropes. He was a mentor to me,” Moralez said. “Since then, I’ve wanted to be able to do that for other people as well.”

Moralez remembers entering NU as a freshman in search of belonging. ROTC provided that community, which he said he found “massively rewarding.” His major agrees.

Maj. Gerry Sapienza (Kellogg ‘21) is a cadre member at Northwestern enlisted in the Army Reserve. As a cadre member, Sapienza teaches military science classes and oversees training activities. He aims to turn “cadets into lieutenants,” he said.

He has known Moralez since his freshman year, and one of his favorite parts of the job is watching his students develop into leaders.

“Nico’s grown a lot over the past four years, and it’s been cool to see his evolution,” Sapienza said. “When you’re a freshman or a sophomore, you come in and have no idea what’s going on, and then by the time you’re a senior, you’re running things.”

The program’s small membership makes leadership opportunities even more meaningful. Moralez is the only member of his class, but loves seeing the freshmen make connections and form community, he said.

Because NU’s ROTC has so few members, the program cannot hold classes and training on campus so students commute to Loyola. However, Sapienza said that the Northwestern administration has been supportive of aspirations to eventually hold classes on campus and grants cadets early morning gym access.

“If we ask for something, administration will help us out,” he said.”They’ve recognized that the ROTC program brings a perspective that is beneficial to the community at large.”

Sapienza believes that holding ROTC classes and labs on the NU campus will make training easier for cadets by getting rid of the long commute.

Both Orbeck and Moralez hope to see the program grow in numbers. Moralez said he’s grateful to be involved.

“I feel very passionate about this program, and I’m sure other people feel that way as well,” Moralez said. “If I didn’t have this opportunity, I wouldn’t be able to attend school here.”

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @jocie_mintz

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