HOLLAND — Like many high schoolers transitioning to college, Scott Miklosz wasn’t 100% sure about his future.
Miklosz graduated in Illinois in 2020, then prepared a move to Hope College with aspirations of acquiring a psychology degree. Equally, though, he felt a strong pull to join the military.
Instead of choosing one, Miklosz decided to do both.
“A lot of my buddies joined the Marines after high school and I heard about the officer program,” he said. “Three or four weeks into my first semester at Hope, I knew that’s what I wanted to do.”
He signed the paperwork in October 2020, then continued his classes at Hope in pursuit of his degree. The following summer, he started Officer Candidate School, a twelve-week program similar to boot camp.
“During OCS, they’re evaluating and screening everyone to be a leader,” Miklosz said. “They split it up for me — so I did six weeks the summer after my freshman year and six weeks the next summer.”
Pursuing both paths meant a lot of multi-tasking. He admits it was a challenge at times, trying to keep his grades up while staying physically fit for OCS.