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COMMISSIONING EDITION | VOLUME 1 | MAY 16 2020
for the class of 2020 we wanted to take the opportunity to say thank you for your leadership and hardwork. this booklet aims to send the next generation of U.S Navy officers of Yale off with gratitude
memories of the year hopefully, this booklet will also encapsulate your memories and the precious moments that we shared together during your time with us. our favorite memories are in here.
looking forward while we also take time to remember this past year’s memorable instances, we also put in some wisdom and advice that all midshipmen could use during this time of reflection from our seniors.
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Table of Contents 4 Letter from the Editor The editor extends a welcome to all its readers and wishes all the seniors the best of luck. Special thank you to all those who wrote personalized messages to the 1/C and submitted photos. Without your contribution, this magazine would not exist. In addition, thank you to Maggie for providing photos of the staff.
10 Saying Thank You to Yale NROTC Staff and etc. Before we highlight the 1/C and their narratives including their favorite memories, the Seadog would like to thank the Yale NROTC staff for their support. In addition, between sections, we share some promising and inspiring words from a 3/C who is making the most out of his summer and another midshipman’s message on leadership.
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14 Celebrating our 1/Cs and the Future Ensigns The cornerstone of the battalion’s body: the 1/C. These are the seniors who will be leaving Yale as the Navy’s new brightest Ensigns. Each senior is profiled and accompanied by individualized messages written by Yale midshipmen.
C / O 2020 Warfare Communities
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Exp. Ordnance Disposal Officer
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Submarine Warfare Officer
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Nuclear Engineering Officer
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Surface Warfare Officer
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Cryptologic Warfare Officer
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Letter from the Editor
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esterday, I learned that my internship - which took me a year to receive - was cancelled a week before its start date. There are no words to express the grief that we have all felt because of what's going on right now. We've lost precious college experiences, summer plans, jobs and special celebrations. Some of us may have even lost friends and family and so much more. Despite these challenging times, I hope that this magazine can provide some consolation to the seniors who have lost even more than us by their commissioning ceremony going virtual. I envisioned this magazine to be a physical manifestation of our solidarity. In creating this booklet, I have witnessed a collective effort never before seen, indicative of the Yale NROTC community's strength and love for the seniors. We are very proud of you 1/C even though all the midshipmen and I were unable to say this in person. Congratulations future Ensigns. You've made it. MIDN 3/C Song Editor
CAPT Grasdock alongside CDR Schlismann greets 31st Chief of Naval Operations John M. Richardson for the Yale NROTC 2019 Leadership Conference.
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POWER DUO Victoria Palmer ‘20 and Xiuya Yao ‘20 will be helping the Navy design its reactors and next-generation propulsion systems in Washington D.C upon commissioning this May.
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hank you Xiuya and Victoria for being wonderful and supportive role models and friends for as long as I've been in the program. Us girls have always stuck together in the unit and you two have always been there for me. I remember my first year you two organized runs to east rock with the 4/C girls and they were amazing bonding moments and so much fun. We went for a run the night of the first year Holiday dinner and we raced back down from East Rock in the freezing cold so us 4/C would make it in time. Thank you both for being so great! You will be dearly missed next year - Bella Back '21
ne of the smallest naval communities,Naval Reactors has 380 engineers that are in charge of reactor and fluid systems design. NR Engineers also are responsible for component designs such as steam generators, pumps and valves along with testing and quality control. These engineers are the lead experts with it comes to nuclear materials development and radiological controls. The role of NR engineers cannot be overstated. This small community oversees more than 100 nuclear-powered ships and submarines, six shipyards and more than 1,000 firms that support the Naval Reactors program. For these reasons, we are proud of MIDN Palmer and MIDN Yao.
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Yale NROTC
MIDN 3/C Sundaraman, also known as “speed demon� for his exceptional fitness record and running pace, had kept himself and his peers motivated by recording live streams of his fitness routine on his Instagram account.
SUMMER PLANS.
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or a lot of college students, summer plans drawn up in the Fall are being canceled and erased by the COVID-19 pandemic. In the Navy ROTC side, Naval Service Training Command announced in late April that all NROTC summer training excluding SOAS and Marine OCS were to be cancelled. This doesn't stop MIDN Sundaraman from imagining his own way in making this summer fruitful and busy. Sundaraman saw that with students being forced to learn from home that there was an opportunity for students like him to tutor high schoolers for free. Hence, Sundaraman recently started a new company he calls Big3 Tutoring. Already attracting five other Yalies to help him with staffing,
Sundaraman has drawn up a large and sophisticated plan that he hopes will entice Yale's Tsai Center of Innotive Thinking to give seed money in his startup initiative. Sundaraman's vision for this enterprise is for there to be better access to real college students for high schoolers seeking to improve their standardized testing scores. In a market dominated by big expensive testing services like Princeton Review and Barron's, Sundaraman hopes that Big3 can give a free and affordable option for students needing assistance in essay writing and SAT/ACT prep. Sundaramn already has a website in place and is already off to a hot start in this new exciting endeavor.
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THANK YOU STAFF.
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hey work behind the scenes and pass on wisdom from their breadth of experiences to Yalies. They are the Yale NROTC Staff. Although words can hardly capture our gratitude to the officers and staff that allow our unit to be one of the best in the nation, this page hopefully can show the faces of our heroes and those who are serving both the Yale community and the the nation.
Staff Roster of 2019-2020 Academic Year CAPT Wayne Grasdock, USN CDR Adam Schlismann, USN Capt. Timothy Brunstetter, USMC LT Brandon Ordway, USN LT Quinlan Melvin, USN GySgt Javier Salguero, USMC Mr. Edward Walters Ms. Darlene Houston Ms. Margaret McNulty
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The Yale NROTC Staff oversees the training and leadership development of all the midshipmen. With almost 10 newly designated Ensigns this year, this feat would never been accomplished without their guidance and active support.
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All drinks in this photo are non-alcoholic or its consumers were 21 or older.
CONGRATULATIONS 1/C. You’ve made it.
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rom being our BNCO to pushing us to new physical boundaries literally - thanks Xiuya and Perez for your tough workouts - the 1/C gave us fun memories and also plenty of lessons on how to be leaders. Each one of you represent the best of Yale with your resilience, determination and unique personalities. For making some of the best diningin videos to simple text messages asking us if we were okay: thank you.
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THE SENI
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Top Row (Left to Right)
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Reeve Vacendak
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Ryan Bauman
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Tyler Whiting
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Bryce Crawford
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Josh Hano Bottom Row (Left to Right)
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Devin O’ Banion
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Gabriel Perez
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Victoria Palmer
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Xiuya Yao
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Skyler Robinson
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raduates, You’ve received enough profound advice throughout your Yale careers, so I’ll leave you with this: have fun. The military is hard work, and you’ll have a tremendous amount of responsibility from day one, but it’s a lot of fun. A little optimism and enthusiasm go a long way. Best of luck to each of you!
-SSgt Pankratz
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ear Class of 2020, thank you for everything. The difficult ending to the year does not take away from any of your incredible accomplishments. You have been a fantastic class to have above us, setting a great example and always reaching out to help us. Your unity as a class was unique and you showed to be great leaders (and better Dining-In Roasters). We are all extremely luck to have gotten to know you and become close with you. This past semester and a half was certainly the best time I have had in ROTC - from amazing speakers, to outside opportunities, to Dining-In. I am very excited to meet you in the fleet and cannot thank you all enough for a fantastic 3 years. Good luck!
- Charlie Markert '21
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ome of my favorite memories from my first year are playing Club Baseball with Josh and taking Differential Equations with Xiuya, but most of all, I loved our weekly family dinners on Sundays. -Dan Huynh '23
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For Tyler, Reeve, Bauman and Skyler,
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hank you for being great seniors who welcomed me both in and out of the unit. You guys always brought a great sense of humor to Battalion events, and I also really enjoyed being around you guys at Chi Psi. I’ll miss you all next year, but I know you’ll all be great officers. -Dan Huynh '23
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Xiuya,
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hank you for being such an incredible role model throughout my first two years in ROTC. You were the best running mate I ever could have asked for and a huge part of what made ROTC special for me. I knew I could come to you about anything, no matter how ridiculous, and that meant so much to me. It won't be the same next year without you but I have no doubt you have amazing things waiting for you in the fleet and beyond. Thank you for everything!! xo -Olivia Plant '22
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ou guys were a phenomenonal bunch, who’s college reign came to an end way too quickly and far too abruptly. However, the way you guys have delt with this situation only serves to show your strength of character. I have definitely observed the intelligent among you as well as the wise, the friendly, the chill and of course the super serious all day every day on the straight and narrow leadership studs. I’m regretful that I didn’t get to share deeper moments with you guys, as you all were a dynamic group who could’ve taught me even more than what you did had I taken the opportunity to really get to know you. Thanks for your patience and resilience with first-year me and your encouragement and support of junior me. I know our class and the class ahead of us will definitely take great solace in knowing that you’ve left behind a clear-cut path for us to follow. I wish you all a safe and smooth transition into your respective communities. The navy will definitely benefit from a lot like you. Stay positive during these times and hungry for what’s next. Although it maybe farewell for the moment, I’m hopeful it’s not for a lifetime:). -Dav Lindo '22
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VICTORIA PALMER BETHEL, CT | MECHANICAL ENGINEERING Favorite Memory: getting to hold handsome dan that one time was pretty cool Words of Wisdom: always bring snacks in case lab runs long
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MIDN Palmer on her summer cruise with an F/A-18 Hornet behind her
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ou were definitely the reason I was ou are definitely one of my able to finish the 1.5 mile run in my upperclassman role models who first PFA. My time would've been I admire, and easily one of the much worse without a buddy to pace with, smartest people I can think of at Yale. KILL and it was especially nice to have someone so IT at Naval Reactors! approachable and kind to me as a first-year! -Wendy Shi '22 - Sofia Bliek '21
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was Palmer's partner for PT once, towards the end of the spring semester. She was super motivating and even though she was injured, she still managed to crush it. It was an awesome moment, and I hope she has more like that in her career.
ongratulations on commissioning and for all of the hard work that you have put in to get here. You have a very exciting future ahead of you, and I hope you enjoy your time in the Navy. Good luck in D.C
-Joe Murphy '23
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-Mohammad Makhmudov '21
SKYLER ROBINSON COLORADO SPRINGS, CO | COMPUTER SCIENCE Favorite Memory: learning to snowboard with Xiuya in February 2019. We took out very first lesson together, and figured we were such great rockstars after the lesson that we rode the lift straight to the top of the mountain, where we both almost died getting back down to the bottom. We accidentally split up, but she eventually made the smart decision to take off the board and walk the rest of the way down, where I got a concussion going about Mach 5 with no idea how to stop. I’ve never experienced such highs and lows in the same day. Truly an amazing experience Words of Wisdom: recognize and embrace what brings you happiness. I was often caught up in my academic performance, because I was always told it should be my top priority. During the COVID-19 pandemic, I realized the thing I missed the most wasn’t my grades…. it was my closest friends.
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hanks for being a great friend to me through ROTC. I think that you've been a company commander for about half of the semesters I've been in the unit, and you've always done a great job at it. Enjoy yourself on the Higgins and good luck in the future! -Mohammad Makhmudov '21 Skyler's a real nice guy. He's easygoing and is always positive. I loved that sick animal print jacket he wore on dining-in. -Valente Hernandez '21 When you meet Skyler, you are struck by his patience. When I met Skyler for the first time at a dining hall for a company commander check-in my freshman year, I was late. Skyler, however, shrugged it off and in fact just went straight to business. He's the type of individual who holds no grudges and simply treats everyone in the same valued way. I was his squad leader this semester and I can say everyone who will be under him as an Ensign will love Skyler for being their officer. -Andrew Song '22
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REEVE VACENDAK ANCHORAGE, AK | ECONOMICS Favorite Memory: Yale’s win over Harvard my first year, which snapped a 10 year losing streak. Words of Wisdom: Interact with as many new communities and clubs at Yale as possible. The friendships and connections I’ve built here at Yale have been the best part of my college experience and will last a lifetime.
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o be honest, I actually didn't know too much about managing budgets and money before I became treasurer. However, you helped mentor me on what exactly to do, and I really appreciated that. You were always willing to help out whenever I had questions about how to do something, and if I could mentor the next person at least half as much as you did to me, then they'll be set. I hope you have an amazing time as a submarine officer and enjoy what lies ahead, there's a lot in store! -Caroline Thomason '22
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ne of the funniest memories I remember about Reeve was him downing his drink at Barcelona. Also, thanks for being so patient with me as "assistant treasurer."
-Wendy Shi '22
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pa kabar Masbro Reeve? Bagaimana kota Anchorage? Masbro lakilaki baik sekali dan teman baik. Kamu sangat bagus di drum untuk pertunjukan Spice Boys... mungkin Masbro bisa menjadi rockstar setelah navy. Saya pikhir Masbro akan punya banyak pesta di Charleston wkwkwk. Masbro akan membuat baik bekerja untuk Navy dan untuk negara Indonesia. Ayo!!!
-Mohammad Makhmudov '21
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eeve was a great company commander and I hope he does well in nuclear power school and has a great career as a nuclear submariner.
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- Cynthia Frimmet '22
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DEVIN O’ BANION CHICAGO, IL | ENGLISH Favorite Memory: My favorite Battalion memory is CORTRAMID East with my fellow Yale shipmates. I was hesitant about joining NROTC before coming to Yale. I didn’t know anything about the Navy and didn’t know what to expect from the experience. But CORTRAMID was the moment at which I realized I had made the right choice. I got to experience amazing things with Marines and sailors, including my first ride in a helicopter, firing assault rifles, and spending time underway on a submarine. Moreover, during CORTRAMID, I realized I had found a meaningful group of friends and comrades in the Yale NROTC Battalion. I finally realized that this was actually something I wanted to do. Words of Wisdom: My freshman year, someone told me “Don’t spend any moment at Yale wishing any part of it away.” I wish I had listened. Don’t spend the little time you have here saying "I can’t wait until I’m done with this week. I have so much work.” Don’t measure your experience at Yale from break to break. Don’t take any moment for granted.
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Devin reached out to me when I got rejected from a fraternity my freshman year by Facebook messenger. He didn’t have to do that, but by doing so he made me realize that he is one of the most thoughtful and caring individuals I have met at Yale. Thank you for that. -Anonymous
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remember before I committed to Yale, Devin helped me navigate through some of Yale's financial aid and scholarship policies. That help had some influence in my decision and I'm thankful for that. -Valente Hernandez '21
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ne of the qualities I admire about you is being so open, kind, and funny. Your loud and constant laughter at Dining In this year tickled me so much. Good luck being the best SWO on all of your ships! -Wendy Shi '22
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ou were the first Midshipmen that I met in the unit, and I still remember clearly how welcomed you made me feel when meeting you. Good luck on your ship and enjoy San Diego! Thank you for being a great BNXO this past semester; I really appreciate the support I received as TrainO. Good luck in the fleet! -Mohammad Makhmudov '21
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BRYCE CRAWFORD SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS | MATHEMATICS/PHYSICS
Favorite Memory: One of my favorite memories is from CORTRAMID East (2017) when after sub week due to some last minute travel arrangement changes us Yale boys (probably due to CAPT Grasdock pulling some strings) got to take a private flight back to Norfolk while everyone else (in our company (echo) and the sister company (foxtrot)) was forced to take commercial airline flights arranged by their units. Other mids gave us shit about it but it was totally worth it. Words of Wisdom: Keep it cool.
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really enjoyed talking to you; your eccentric personality and insight always makes things interesting. And thanks for showing me your crazy dorm kitchen setup. And thank you for an excellent job as XO; this semester definitely had the most memorable, interesting, and informed talks of the time I've been in the unit. Good luck with subs! -Wendy Shi '22 Thank you for being a great BNXO this past semester; I really appreciate the support I received as TrainO. Good luck in the fleet!
- Sydney Mondzelewski '22
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caught brunch with Crawford on the occasional Sunday, as I would be stopping at Ben Franklin after Church. Of these Sunday meetings, one of my favorite moments was when Crawford talked about what he was writing for his Medal of Honor Recipient section in the POW. I was (and still am ) impressed by the amount of effort he put into that. I hope this part of the POW is replicated by future BNXO's because he really put a lot of passion into it.
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- Joe Murphy '23
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hank you Crawford for all the guidance with the submarine community. Ever since I mentioned my interest you've been more than willing to share what you know and help me get through it. All your help has meant so much to me and has absolutely made a big difference in my preparation. The interview process is terrifying as a non stem major and you've always encouraged me and made me feel like it's something I can do. Thank you for being a mentor and a friend. See you in the fleet! -Bella Back '21
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will always remember the time we worked the football game together as golf cart drivers. It was easily the most entertaining job I've had at Yale and it was always fun passing by you while driving. I'm sorry I never ended up being able to visit you at the Chaplain's office again but I'm sure our paths will cross again in the future! -Sofia Bliek '21
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y favorite memories with Bryce were our conversations during Global Grounds and when we went to the University of Notre Dame military conference.
MIDN Crawford served as the BNXO for Spring 2020 and will be a Submarine Warfare Officer
-Valente Hernandez '21
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hank you Bauman for being so willing to mentor. You spoke with me on the phone my senior year of high school to tell me about Yale and NROTC. You definitely swayed me from choosing the Naval Academy. Thank you for your leadership over the years and being such an impressive member of the battalion. See you in the fleet!
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remember that when somebody first told me you did DS, I thought they were joking because you look like the last person that would do DS. But you're living proof that it is possible to be brainy and brawny. Keep on making it nasty
-Mohammad Makmudov '21
-Bella Back '21
Favorite Memory: Dining In this year. There were a lot of great videos, toasts and roasts, and I think everyone had an awesome time. Words of Wisdom: Enjoy your time here. Yale is a really special place, so please make the most of it.
RYAN BAUMAN LEAWOOD, KS | ETHICS, POLITICS & ECONOMICS
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XIUYA YAO NASHVILLE, TN | ELECTRICAL ENG/COMPUTER SCIENCE
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idshipman Yao, my first impression of you was during your presentation of the EOD cruise. You were telling the battalion about working out in a 70 lb bomb suit. I thought you were a badass, and as the semester went on, your actions and behavior only proved that you are a badass. My favorite memories involve doing a partner workout together during PT and killing it, and the female midshipmen brunch you put together. I remember you telling a story about how you bumped into Ku and Zamora in the BF/Pauli Murray gym, and I could not stop laughing as you made fun of their American-flag booty shorts. I wish you the best of luck at your next duty station. Thank you for being an exemplary model of what a midshipman should be, and for always being a welcoming face in the unit.
ne of the funniest memories I remember about you was being on a team for the Leadership Reaction Course, and you were scared to come down the wall! Have fun at Naval Reactors! -Wendy Shi '22
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hank you for being such an awesome role model and someone I know I can always count on. From Bulldog Days 2018 to now, you have been so supportive and encouraging, and I always know that you will answer even my dumbest questions. You have truly shaped my experience in NROTC in such a positive way, and I feel so lucky to have gotten to know you over the past two years. Best of luck in the fleet!
-Catherine Yang '23
-Sydney Mondzelewski '22
I'm so glad to have gotten to know you over the last couple years. Thank you for all of the advice you gave, meals you arranged with the ladies, and for just always being someone I could look up to (academically, within the battalion, on the pitch, and in life!). I'm going to miss you!
Favorite Memory: Sitting together at the table for our fourth and final Dining-In, our class chatted, joked, and laughed the entire time. From Skyler's cheetah print jacket to SSgt calling out Reeve and Ryan for their matching tattoos to all the videos and roasts, the event was a lot of fun. Our 1/C DiningIn especially sticks in my mind because it was one of the last times the battalion was together before we left for spring break and classes moved online. Words of Wisdom: Really have fun and enjoy college while you can because you never know when a pandemic might strike!
XIUY - Sofia Bliek '21
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GABRIEL PEREZ ST. AUGUSTINE, FL | EAST ASIAN STUDIES Favorite Memory: My favorite battalion-related memory is definitely Dining-In 2020. It’s the closest the unit has felt (and the closest I’ve felt to the unit) since I joined. I’ve never laughed so much (s/o to SSgt for the tattoos and all the underclassmen for making great vids) and I would be lying if I didn’t say it was nice to share a drink (or more) with the rest of the 1/C. Words of Wisdom: Spend time together outside of ROTC! Some of my favorite memories with my class were at breakfast after class. Your peers will relate to you the most throughout your time at Yale and likely after so make the most of your time now together.
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ongratulations on not only commissioning but also getting selected for EOD! The training and deployments that you will go on as an EOD officer will be one of the coolest things you could do as a 22 year old. Keep working hard and good luck in the future. -Mohammad Makhmudov '21
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y favorite memories with Gabriel were when he would give me haircuts and have to use a garbage bag instead of a haircutting cape.
MIDN Perez at CORTRAMID East when he was a 3/C!
-Valente Hernandez '21
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erez has never failed to amaze me by the way he is so cheerful and optimistic. He always brings a smile when he is at the unit and whenever I consult with him on advice, he always makes time to respond to me. I'm not surprised that he's joining EOD because his calm nature is EOD-level. I'm always relaxed when I am around him and his guru nature makes me want to become a better leader
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- Andrew Song '22
hanks for being a great company commander, I really enjoyed working with you! Good luck with everything to come!
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- Olivia Plant '22
MIDN Whiting will be commissioning as a Submarine Warfare Officer!
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TYLER WHITING COPPELL, TX | ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING Words of Wisdom: Everyone says it, but your 4 years at Yale go by quickly. Don’t take the opportunities you have or the friends you’ve made for granted. Don’t take yourself too seriously-it’s the things you didn’t do and opportunities you passed on you’ll regret. Lastly, schoolwork is important, that’s why you’re here, but you’ll remember the fun times you had with friends when you look back on your time at Yale. Being secure in your classwork will allow you to actually enjoy those experiences more. Favorite Memory: I don’t have a particularly favorite memory; several memories are are my favorites in different ways. Spring fling, Yale-Harvard, Diningin, and formals every year, and Senior Masquerade this year are among the big events that stand out. Prior to school starting, NSO was a unique experience that we still joke about to this day. All the countless fun nights hanging out with my Navy classmates, fraternity, and other friends are what made my time at Yale so great and why it’s difficult to leave. It’s the day-to-day shenanigans I’ll miss the most.
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still remember when we first met at Morse the very first day I was at Yale during the big sib/little sib ice cream social. Since then, you've always cheered me on during PT for the PFAs or just during the regular workouts, and it really motivated me to continue giving it my all. Even when it felt tough in the middle of the mile and a half run, hearing your motivation would give me some more energy to continue pushing through to the very end. It was always nice to see you around Morse, and I know you're going to make a great submarine officer! -Caroline Thomason '22
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hank you for being a great company commander this past fall, and I wish you the best of luck in the fleet! -Sydney Mondzelewski '22 35
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JOSH HANO MADISON, WS | HISTORY
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Favorite Memory: Dining In this year, it always makes me happy to see all the classes having such a great time together. I hope that it is a lasting tradition, as it was the best of the four I've been to. Words of Wisdom: Find who you enjoy spending time with and what you enjoy doing, and ignore everything else.
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idshipman Hano was extremely welcoming, kind, and friendly from the get go. As soon as we arrived on campus I felt as though I had a friend and role model that I could approach if I had any questions, ROTC related or not.
- Cavan Walsh '23
Thanks for always being willing to help me and the other mids, whether it was prepping for the ASTB, how to survive physics and navigation, or strategies for commissioning. I really appreciate that you gave advice to us so candidly and honestly. You're going to make a great officer! -Sofia Bliek '21
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hanks for setting a good example for us new guys this past semester and a half. You were never "too good" for anyone in the unit and took the time to talk to the 4/C. You were genuinely a cool dude who actually gave a crap about things even when Big Navy decided to make your life slightly less enjoyable. Keep giving a cr*p and good luck in the metal tube. -Thomas Zamora '23
I admire Josh's good humor and affability. He gets along with just about everyone and is great at making conversation. - Valente Hernandez '22
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osh Hano was the first MIDN I ever saw and by God was I impressed. It was Camp Yale and I had just changed into my NWUs for the swearing in ceremony and Josh Hano came trotting out of Trumbull college in some navy apparel, evidently just finishing off his run. I can’t remember what he said, but I thought he was the biggest PT stud I’d ever met because he was running outside and it was very hot. Little did I know, he was probably running late to the ceremony, having stayed to long at Chi Psi.
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-Mahlon Sorensen '22
hanks for all of the kindness you've shown these last three years. You're a really thoughtful person who does a good job of looking out for others. Because of this, I know that you'll be happy and find success no matter where your path takes you. Thanks for being a great CO this semester, and I wish you luck in the future.
-Mohammad Makmudov '21
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ON LEADERSHIP. The 2020 NROTC Leadership Conference was cancelled, but that doesn’t mean a discussion on leadership stops. MIDN 3/C Sorensen gives some thought on the meaning of such a word through his lessons under CDR Schlismann in his Leadership and Management course and his experience in organizing the April conference. The following is an excerpt from MIDN Sorenson’s personal essay on leadership.
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t is often said that good followers make good leaders, and I believe this to be true. The underlying sentiment behind this statement is one of empathy; by understanding the plight of the follower, the leader improves. Like individual empowerment, part of empathizing with your team is getting to know them and understanding what makes them tick. However, empathy goes beyond that. Leaders must try to imagine themselves in the place of their team (walk in their footsteps, one might say) so they can more effectively serve their team. This is easier said than done, and I’ve definitely struggled to empathize with people before. However, extending empathy is easiest when I can identify commonalities between myself and others. Shared experience, similar ideology, and even a common enemy are good foundations to begin to empathize with another, and I will continue to use those in the future.
a leader to make the difficult choice and still have the confidence of the team. A decision may be unpopular, but if the team believes in the integrity of their leader, they will likely be convinced that it was the right choice to make. Lying, cheating, stealing, and manipulating are proven ways to lose one’s integrity, and avoiding these cardinal sins of leadership at all cost is a leader’s foremost priority. As such, I am confident in my ability to maintain my integrity. Interestingly, organizations that explicitly emphasize the importance of integrity usually have fewer problems with people compromising their integrity. It is more difficult to instill the importance of integrity in those that do not already have it, but with enough reinforcement of the principles of integrity, I believe achieve this is quite possible too.
ithout a doubt, integrity is the most important trait for interpersonal leaders. If followers do not trust their leader, the team is broken. Leaders are often placed in tricky positions or forced to choose between two seemingly horrible evils. Integrity allows
"It is often said that good followers make good leaders, and I believe this to be true." -MIDN SORENSEN
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MIDN 3/C Sorensen won Most Improved Player for the Yale Rugby Team and also is a History major. He will be the Battalion Sgt. Major for Fall 2020.
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LUX ET VERITAS
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STAY SAFE Yale NROTC
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I’m fortunate that this challenging time occurred now.
“When I come back to campus, I am going to do my best to make the most of every moment, because we lost some time together. I am excited to see what is in store for the seniors and for the entire unit as a whole when we come back!” - Cynthia Frimmet ‘22
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2/c Top Row (Left to Right): Valente Hernandez, Key Li, Charlie Markert, Jacob Asher, Mohammad Makhmudov; Bottom Row (Left to Right): SSgt Allegra Pankratz, Sofia Bliek, Bella Back, Emma Smith
3/c Left to Right: Wendy Shi, Davornne Lindo, Andrew Song, Mahlon Sorenson, Olivia Plant, Sydney Mondzelewski, Cynthia Frimmet, Caroline Thomason; (Not Pictured): Brihu Sundaraman
4/c Left to Right: Cavan Walsh, Arron Ku, Dan Hyunh, Anthony Scarborough, Catherine Yang, Emily Quisenberry, Ben Markert, Thomas Zamora, Andrew Jones, Joe Murphy
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