ROTC Cadet Marlee Edwards describes herself as almost painfully shy.
Looking at her ROTC career at Missouri State University, though, one would be hard-pressed to believe her.
Throughout her journey, she has transformed from someone who barely spoke to her classmates to a battalion leader barking out orders.
Edwards says it is the risks she has taken, including joining ROTC in the first place, that got her there.
Finding a fulfilling career path
Edwards, who graduates this May with a degree in psychology and a minor in military science, found her career passion through ROTC.
“I originally started college as a biology major with a minor in psychology,” Edwards said. “I decided to change to a psychology major after I joined ROTC my second semester of freshman year.”
Edwards made the decision in part because she felt more “motivated” in her psychology classes than her biology classes. But seeing the possibilities of what she could do with a psychology degree within the military cemented the decision for her.
“Being around the military environment, I realized how much I enjoyed it,” she explained. “It helped push me towards the idea of wanting to work with service members and veterans as a clinical psychologist.”
Now Edwards has clear, definite career plans. She will commission into the Missouri National Guard as an officer this fall, which will require her to attend drill one weekend a month. By fall of 2025, she hopes to be in graduate school.
Financial benefits a big draw
The financial benefits of joining ROTC are perhaps the most obvious, and initially they were a big draw for Edwards.
Originally from Excelsior Springs, MO, Edwards joined ROTC not only to challenge herself but also to secure financial support for her education through both ROTC and the Army National Guard.
Edwards had already planned to join the Guard. But when she came across an ROTC recruitment email, she was intrigued.
“I decided I might as well give it a try, just to see how it goes,” she said.
Since then, Edwards has enjoyed financial benefits many of her college peers never have.
“I am an SMP Cadet, Simultaneous Membership Program, which means I am in the Missouri National Guard as well as the ROTC program,” Edwards explained. “This means I get paid [for] my drill weekends once a month, and I also get a $420 stipend for being contracted through ROTC.”
In addition, Edwards’ tuition at MSU has been completely paid for.
“I’m graduating college with little debt compared to most students, and I haven’t had to have a job for the last year and a half,” Edwards said. “The financial benefits ROTC has provided me has given me the ability to focus on my academics without worrying about needing to work a job.”
“All the confidence in the world”
It wasn’t all that simple for Edwards at first, though.
During her first few weeks in ROTC, she began to wonder if she wasn’t in over her head.
“A week went by, and I realized I was way outside of my comfort zone,” she said. “But quitting only would’ve proved that I couldn’t do it, and I wanted to show myself and others that I could.”
Since then, Edwards has taken on various roles such as squad leader, platoon leader, platoon sergeant, first sergeant, and executive officer. She is currently S-6, the communications officer for the entire battalion.
“My leadership roles were all assigned roles,” Edwards explained. “Out of these roles, the first sergeant was the most developmental for me and got me started on the journey of stepping out of my shell.”
“This position required me to stand in front of the entire formation almost every day and be in charge,” she continued. “I was responsible for making sure people were in the right place at the right time and in the right uniform.”
As first sergeant, Edwards also had to serve as communication liaison between the cadet staff and the rest of the battalion.
“I have always been an extremely quiet and shy individual, so being forced to stand in front of people and being loud helped me with that,” Edwards said.
Now she speaks comfortably during interviews or in front of hundreds of people at commissioning ceremonies.
“Public speaking is my biggest fear, [but] after that experience, it felt like I had all the confidence in the world,” Edwards said.
A supportive environment—for everyone
Edwards is quick to reassure females thinking about joining ROTC that they will be treated fairly and with respect.
“When I joined, I thought I would be out of place and treated like I didn’t belong, but that was the complete opposite,” she said. “The environment we have is open to everyone and we are all treated with the same amount of respect.”
Even the certainty of enduring intense physical training was not the obstacle Edwards thought it would be.
“When it comes to the physical aspect like our workouts, I was a bit worried because I wasn’t in shape, but I have never felt like I was being judged by my male counterparts,” she said. “They only helped to push me more and reach my goals.”
Edwards admitted that being in a male-dominated environment might seem a little intimidating to some.
“It can seem overwhelming when you look around and the majority of your peers are males in a male-dominated career, but we don’t treat it like that,” Edwards said. “The community we create is nothing but uplifting, encouraging, supportive and caring. We all look out for one another.”
“The development of each other is something we don’t take lightly.”
The value of lifelong skillsets
Edwards believes that her new-found confidence will take her a long way, and she gives a lot of credit to her years in ROTC for making that possible.
“My favorite part about ROTC is that it has opened up multiple new opportunities for me,” she said. “It has given me important life skills, such as leadership and confidence, and how to navigate the professional world.”
Time management is another important skill Edwards now checks off the list.
“This program takes time and dedication, and learning to juggle that with school…has made me better at prioritizing,” she explained. “It took me a little bit to figure out, but I think these skills will remain applicable to the rest of my life.”
Moving mountains
Edwards encourages others to step outside their comfort zones, citing her own decision to try ROTC on a whim as a source of valuable lessons and experiences that have opened doors she never imagined.
“You are capable of so much more than you think,” she said. “When I first started, I thought there was no way I could be a leader, much less in the military. But through the leadership opportunities and the training we receive, I have grown to realize that I can.”
Edwards emphasized that ROTC teaches students to hold themselves to a higher standard.
“We are a program meant to develop students to be leaders, and that is exactly what we do in every aspect,” she added.
Although Edwards once described herself as being “stuck inside a shell within another shell,” her time in ROTC shows she has not only succeeded, she has thrived in the challenges it presented her.
“My mom’s favorite quote to describe me is, ‘Let her sleep, for when she wakes, she’ll move mountains,’” Edwards said.
“That is how this program has made me feel.”
Explore opportunities in military science
Images provided by Phil Roberson and Cadet Zachary Gorenflo. Special thanks to Cadet Gorenflo for his contributions to this story.