ROTC graduates ready for commission

Tai Nguyen, a criminal justice major, was inspired to join BU’s ROTC program to not just serve the country but to make a career out of it.

“I thought ROTC was my greatest chance of bettering my future,” said Nguyen, who was also a member of Phi Sigma Pi honor fraternity. “The experiences I had from ROTC taught me to use my time wisely and to be humble throughout my life. I believe it has prepared me for the future as I look to set my priorities and continue to work hard in my career.”

Following graduation Nguyen will be serving active duty as a second lieutenant quartermaster officer, working logistics.

“My career goal is to serve twenty-plus years and hopefully gain a lot of experience,” Nguyen said. “What I will miss about my experience in Bloomsburg are my friends and co-workers who continually supported me throughout my life. I will also miss my professors, as well for giving me the knowledge in my major and for helping me with class work whenever I struggled.”

Andrew Sickora’s first step after graduating high school was to enlist in the U.S. Army Reserves. Next, it was applying to Bloomsburg University. Then he discovered the ROTC program, and the rest is history.

“The experiences I’ve gained in college and ROTC have prepared me to stay calm in stressful situations and to not overthink my decisions,” said Sickora, an information and technology management major. “If you have decided on a plan of action, don’t second-guess yourself because that’s when you will run into problems and begin to mess up. By just executing the decision you made, you will be more confident in yourself and then can reflect on the outcome of what happened.”

Sickora matched his major with his specialty in the army.

“Since I was an IT specialist in the army, I had a technology background,” Sickora said. “So, I thought I should get a degree in the technology field. I also worked on campus with the IMPS technology department to help fix problems the professors were having in class with the equipment. I had this job for four years.”

After graduation, Sickora will move onto the Basic Officer Leadership Course at Ft. Gordan, Ga., to learn his duties and responsibilities as a second lieutenant with a signaling unit.

“My goal is to make the army a lifelong career, and retire after my 20 years of service,” Sickora said. “Then after I retire from the Army, I want to join my uncle’s business at Lexicon Inc. I honestly will miss all the friends I have made during my time at Bloomsburg and the amazing professors I have had during my time here.”