I am shining my shoes, something all cadets learn 
to do their first year in ROTC.

My first year at Washington University is always associated with my first ROTC experience because my very presence at this school was due to my ROTC scholarship. I was very thrilled about the idea of being in Air Force ROTC, but I so many questions leading up to it. What will I learn in ROTC? How much exercise will I be doing? Will I know how to wear my uniform? On the other hand, I was also extremely concerned that I wouldn't fit in. I pictured all the other cadets as super-athletic beings who wouldn't like me once they realized I was a slow runner. I was paranoid that ROTC would be a miserable time and resemble my experiences in elementary school P.E. when I was always the last to be picked for the sports teams. I learned quickly I had nothing to worry about when older cadets from Wash U took me under their wings. I could not have asked for better mentors because they guided me every step of the way. 

I had to activate the scholarship by passing the physical fitness test (PFT) during the first week of school. All summer I had practiced the PFT events of sit-ups, push-ups, and 1.5 mile run, but I had not been performing consistently to be certain I would pass. I remember getting stung by a bee on the day before I was supposed to take the test. I took it as a bad omen, but I shouldn't have because an amazing thing happened: I passed the test! Something clicked in my head and I turned my push-with-no-ups into real push-ups. Passing that first PFT boosted my confidence so much that I started setting higher goals each time I took the PFT. As a scholarship recipient, I was required to pass the PFT once a semester. Additionally, I had to maintain good grades, a healthy weight and a drug-free life. Failure to comply is grounds for suspension or loss of the scholarship, so I had an incredible incentive to keep on track. Of course, these are all things that every college student should do, but I shudder to imagine what my weight would be without ROTC. And who knows how my grades would have turned out? 

Another requirement to maintain the scholarship includes taking ROTC classes. As a freshman and sophomore, this meant one hour of classroom instruction and two hours of Leadership Lab (LLab) each week. The classroom instruction in the first two years oriented cadets to the Air Force. I enjoyed these classes, as they were a relaxing change from the chemistry and calculus courses I was taking. The classes and LLabs were at St. Louis University, so I had an opportunity to meet students from other campuses in the area. 

An older cadet teaching freshmen how to march.

The classroom portion was taught by an officer who generally fit my idea of a traditional teacher. Conversely, LLabs were completely student-planned and student-run. I was in awe on that first day because I had never seen anything like it before, and I never imagined that students would be capable of doing anything like that. All the "teachers" were upperclassmen and had the distinction of already having completed Field Training, also known as boot camp. They taught us how to march and drill and challenged us to become leaders by being great followers. They organized activities such as our banquet dinners, military balls, guest speakers, career nights and picnics. They were so professional and confident that I immediately looked up to them. It was mind-boggling to me that one day, I would be in their shoes, leading a group of underclassmen and teaching them how to march. 

Confident I would never be able to lead and teach underclassmen, I raised my concerns with my freshman ROTC instructor. Her response was among the best advice I ever received throughout my college years. She told me not to look so far ahead just yet, and asked if I could imagine myself as a sophomore. When I nodded, she told me that once I became a sophomore, it would be easier for me to see myself as a junior, leading and teaching underclassmen. She couldn't have been more correct and it put my mind at ease. To this day, I find that taking things one step at a time is the best way to get through anything.

Cadets wear their uniforms on the day of class and L-Lab, a policy that made me nervous. Once in uniform, we were expected to salute senior cadets when we passed them on campus. I was worried that I would wear my uniform incorrectly, or forget to salute a senior cadet. Or even worse, I would wear it incorrectly and forget to salute. I'll admit, it happened once or twice, and as embarrassing as it was, it was all part of the learning process. I spent the first two years of ROTC learning to be comfortable with the uniform, customs and courtesies of the Air Force. All of this was in preparation for Field Training, which cadets attend between their sophomore and junior years in college.

This picture was taken right after I forgot to salute a senior 
cadet. She is "yelling" at me for this and making sure I won't 
make the same mistake again.

Meanwhile, I did my best to maintain good grades at school. I started off my major by taking a course freshmen year for heritage speakers. The students had a good grasp with understanding and speaking Chinese, but were for the most part, unable to read it. My classmates and I joked around that it was for illiterate ABCs (American Born Chinese). I spent the summer afterwards in Taiwan to study Chinese and returned to Wash U in the fall to take third year Chinese. By the end of that year my Chinese had improved enough for me to consider studying abroad in Beijing that summer, but I had to postpone it. I already had a prior commitment to attend AFROTC Field Training. I could only hope that I was mentally and physically prepared enough to succeed when I went.