IU seniors Fabian Carrasquillo and Quinn Hanlon come from different parts of the country and they have different majors and career goals. As cadets in the Indiana University Army ROTC, though, they share the same passion and drive, and the two have formed a lasting friendship that will continue long beyond their graduation.
Through IU ROTC, Fabian, a senior in East Asian studies at the Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies, and Quinn, a senior studying information systems in the Kelley School of Business, learn lessons on military science and participate in leadership labs as Indiana University Army ROTC they work toward becoming commissioned officers in the United States Army. Students can incorporate military coursework (both hands-on and leadership trainings) with any major. Most cadets receive a scholarship for joining the ROTC. Depending on the branch of the Army where the cadets are placed, they commit to between four to eight years of service (or three years, if no scholarship was awarded).
Fabian and Quinn both plan to spend at least the next several years protecting friends, family, other soldiers, and strangers, both overseas and domestically. “Service is doing whatever you can to help others,” says Fabian. “Our instructors really are the best in their fields, and it inspires us to be better from the ground up.”
When Fabian and Quinn aren’t doing ROTC coursework, they’re like any other college students, spending time with friends at football games or binge-watching their favorite shows – right now Fabian’s is Star Wars: The Mandalorian. While Fabian has found a secret pond for fishing, Quinn is looking for new hikes at Griffy Lake. You may find Quinn studying for a test while sitting under a tree in the arboretum – and both of them end up working on group projects in Wells Library.
Quinn’s advice for anyone starting college, or a service journey like ROTC: “Give everything your all, and not just your academics – your friendships, your other commitments, to other volunteer groups or to clubs. Don’t be afraid to be involved and meet to new people – because those people will be may end up as your support system.”
