Sailor Story: NROTC Scholarship

[Navy for Moms Admin]

Sailor: CDR David S. Kemp, Executive Officer of Navy Recruiting District, Raleigh, N.C.
Mom: Joanne Kemp, Malone, N.Y.

Growing up in rural upstate New York, CDR David S. Kemp dreamed of attending the University of Rochester. He knew that to attend the top-tier university he would have to find a creative way to pay for college. Kemp applied for and won a Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC) scholarship and embarked on a 20-year Navy career that has taken him around the world.

After graduating from the University of Rochester with a Bachelor of Science in ecology and evolutionary science, Kemp was initially assigned aboard the USS Reid (FFG 30), based in San Diego. He was attached to the USS Reid until June 1995, when he began initial shore duty at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, Calif. There, he earned his designation as a French language linguist and, upon graduation in 1996, was quickly assigned aboard the French ship Duquesne, a guided missile destroyer based in Toulon, France. Aboard the Duquesne, he became the first American ever to qualify as Tactical Action Officer on a French warship.

In the following years, Kemp and his family traveled to just about every country in Europe and visited ports throughout the Mediterranean, including Athens, Greece; Istanbul and Marmaris, Turkey; Morocco; Tunisia; Spain; England; and Russia.

“One of the most meaningful visits for me was a port visit to Novorossiysk, Russia, in the Black Sea,” says Kemp. “The city completely debunked the illusion that I’ve always had – that Russia was economically prosperous. All I saw was abject poverty. It changed my perception of the Soviet system completely.”

Kemp’s mom, Joanne, says the professional and educational training her son received in the Navy outweighs any fear she had for his safety.

“David was determined to reach his goal – his NROTC scholarship provided him with the tools to complete such impressive accomplishments in both the public and private sectors. The things he can do are just endless,” she says.

Today, Kemp lives a bit closer to home, in Raleigh, N.C., where he is Executive Officer of Navy Recruiting District Raleigh. He recently completed his master’s degree in management at the Naval Postgraduate School. At NRD Raleigh, he supervises a team of 281 Sailors and civilians.

“I was a guy from a small town – I have experienced dozens and dozens of amazing things,” he says. “None of this would have happened if it wasn’t for the Navy.”

[Fran]

My son, too, went through college on an NROTC scholarship. For us, it was the only way for him to attend a top-tier college without thousands of dollars in loans. Yes, the scholarship came with dangerous strings attached that are not part of a normal, traditional scholarship. Yes, I often worry about him. But it was his choice, and he researched it thoroughly before accepting the scholarship. I am thrilled my son was able to get a great education. Between his education and the leadership skills developed by the Navy, my son will have an excellent resume should he decide to pursue a career outside of the Navy. The Navy invested heavily in him. As a result, he has been able to go places, see things, do things and learn things most of us can't even imagine. Will the Navy be a career for him? Only time will tell. In the meantime, he has "paid back" his active duty time and is still in. The old Navy slogan... "it's not just a job, its an adventure'" really applies.

[TheyGrewAgain]

My daughter is just starting her Navy experience. She was blessed with an NROTC Nursing Option scholarship and left for her school's unit on 8/06/08.

She started researching NROTC in her sophomore year of HS, took a challenging course load, never took a study hall and took extra classes instead. She was busy with activities, played saxophone in marching band, was on the speech team, did technical work and landed roles in the school plays, and was active in FFA. She got her Certified Nursing Assistant certification, and that's when she knew for certain she wanted a career in Nursing.

As her mom, of course I encouraged her to apply, even though I knew it would mean a total of 12 years of commitment: 4 in school, 8 more in service, and she'd most likely be far away from home for it.

She had a "plan B" in place in case she didn't get the scholarship. She enlisted in the National Call to Service program. She would go to basic/school then serve for 15 months active before then going on to being a reservist and starting college back home. When she went to MEPS, her scores were great, they suggested she go Nuke. But she said no, in the end she wanted to be a nurse, and a navy nurse, not a sailor in the traditional sense. She also didn't want to put nursing school off for that long.

In April, she got notice finally that she had not been selected for scholarship for the five schools she applied for. She naturally was disappointed, but was actually looking forward to Basic and starting her journey with the Navy. Story didn't end there though, and the denial was a blessing in disguise.

In May, she received an NROTC Nursing Option scholarship offer from a school she hadn't applied to, but also an additional scholarship from the school to cover her room and board. A full FREE RIDE! It was quite the happy day when she opened that letter!

She did have to scramble to apply and gain admission to the school's nursing program, provide another ream of information, continue her DEP with the local recruitment office in case it fell through. It was just this week that her DOD physical was finally cleared... phew.

She's enjoying college life, is dorming with a great group of other NROTC students. She's excited and motivated and grateful for the opportunity the Navy has entrusted to her.

It took so long to get it all confirmed, that she never did get to have the ceremony where they hand you the big over-sized fake check, but that's OK, she's a humble kind of young woman anyway!

[Morgan Thomas]

I find out in three weeks if I am granted the NROTC scholarship. I think I have a good chance, but have been planning on going in as enlisted and doing the linguistics program if the scholarship doesnt work out. But I really want tobe a linguist even if I do go to school first with the scholarship. I was just wondering if he got to pick the CTI job even though his degree didn't relate to it, or if i should go ahead and learn another language in college to ensure me that job. LEt me know. Thank you!