My name is Jillian Rokes and I am an AS400 cadet at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL). I was born and
raised in Omaha, Nebraska and attended Skutt Catholic High School. I decided to come to UNL because of the
great ROTC programs and to stay close to home. Here at UNL, I am involved in my sorority, Delta Delta Delta,
the Women’s Club Soccer team, and am an employee for the UNL Athletic Department at Memorial Stadium.
My freshman year of college I decided to rush Greek life and pledge Delta Delta. Being in a sorority has given me a community as well as other leadership opportunities on campus. Since sophomore year, I have been a team member of the Women's Club Soccer team. This has given me the chance to continue playing the sport I love as well as travel around the Midwest and compete against other schools. I am very passionate about sports and am an avid fan of Nebraska athletics, which led me to working for the Athletic Department.
After I commission in May, i will be headed to Offutt Air Force Base to be the Gold Bar Recruiter for the region for one year. This means I will be traveling around Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota, North Dakota, Wisconsin, and Minnesota to recruit high schoolers to apply for the AFROTC High School Scholarship Program (HSSP). I am looking forward to this special duty assignment as I am passionate about the Air Force and want to encourage others to experience similar opportunities I had.
Tips for Future Cadets: Take advantage of the opportunities presented to you! Detachment 465 offers some pretty awesome and unique opportunities for cadets to get involved in, such as doing the color guard in front of 90,000 people at Memorial Stadium, flying in a C-17, and even going on a base visit to Tinker AFB in Oklahoma on a KC-135.
Favorite memory from ROTC: Attending the Flyin' Irish Notre Dame Basketball tournament each year.
My biggest impact on the Det so far: Putting together instramural teams for everyone to participate on. This is a great way for cadets to bond together outside of ROTC events and build morale.
