Four Hillsdale students attend Marine's Officer Candidate School
OCS traning first step into military career, participants describe sleep deprivation, physical strain
Jeff Ventrella
Issue date: 9/17/09 Section: News
Over the summer, four Hillsdale students and one alumnus attended Officer Candidate School for the United States Marine Corps. For some it was the first step into a career in the American military; for others a challenge that may yield direction and insight into their futures.
Hillsdale senior Michael Black completed the second half of OCS, called Seniors, while juniors Brian Steadman and Aubrie Wagaman and sophomore Mike Marsh completed the first half, Juniors. They continue the trend of Hillsdale out-producing all other colleges and universities in Ma-rine recruiter Captain Elliott Peterson's area of responsibility, which encompasses southeastern Michigan and northern Ohio, both in sheer numbers and percentage.
Peterson believes the culture of the college attracts the type of people that the Marine Corps wants to recruit for its officer corps.
"Every student at Hillsdale is qualified, not only academically, but physically. You don't have a lot of extra-large guys running around," Peterson said.
Junior Brian Steadman said the influence of his father and grandfather, who served in the Air Force and the Army, respectively, and his interest in military life were factors in his decision to go to OCS.
"I wanted to see military life; it's a cool opportunity. I mean, you get to train with the Marines!" he said.
Marsh wishes to pursue a long-term career in the Marines, and found that OCS fulfilled his desire for a challenge and provided an opportunity to attend college.
Junior Aubrie Wagaman, whose grandfather served in the Marines, has wanted to join ever since elementary school and applied to the Naval Academy before deciding to come to Hillsdale. She finalized her application with barely a month of school left, and began the program with what she described as "no clue" about what OCS would actually be like.
"It was a completely brand-new experience, hard but very, very rewarding," she said.
Steadman said it was intentionally - but never unbearably - stressful in order to ignite competition among the candidates to determine who the leaders were.
Hillsdale senior Michael Black completed the second half of OCS, called Seniors, while juniors Brian Steadman and Aubrie Wagaman and sophomore Mike Marsh completed the first half, Juniors. They continue the trend of Hillsdale out-producing all other colleges and universities in Ma-rine recruiter Captain Elliott Peterson's area of responsibility, which encompasses southeastern Michigan and northern Ohio, both in sheer numbers and percentage.
Peterson believes the culture of the college attracts the type of people that the Marine Corps wants to recruit for its officer corps.
"Every student at Hillsdale is qualified, not only academically, but physically. You don't have a lot of extra-large guys running around," Peterson said.
Junior Brian Steadman said the influence of his father and grandfather, who served in the Air Force and the Army, respectively, and his interest in military life were factors in his decision to go to OCS.
"I wanted to see military life; it's a cool opportunity. I mean, you get to train with the Marines!" he said.
Marsh wishes to pursue a long-term career in the Marines, and found that OCS fulfilled his desire for a challenge and provided an opportunity to attend college.
Junior Aubrie Wagaman, whose grandfather served in the Marines, has wanted to join ever since elementary school and applied to the Naval Academy before deciding to come to Hillsdale. She finalized her application with barely a month of school left, and began the program with what she described as "no clue" about what OCS would actually be like.
"It was a completely brand-new experience, hard but very, very rewarding," she said.
Steadman said it was intentionally - but never unbearably - stressful in order to ignite competition among the candidates to determine who the leaders were.
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