National ROTC Month: From nursing to ROTC to study abroad, senior Samuel Knuth leads with kindness, empathy

March is National ROTC month, a time to recognize the dedication and leadership development of Reserve Officers' Training Corps cadets across the country.

Samuel Knuth, a senior nursing student and battalion commander in the Army ROTC program, embodies that commitment.

Knuth oversees more than 100 cadets from diverse backgrounds, supervising training activities, fostering a positive environment and setting the standard for the battalion.

Samuel with other members of the Army ROTC

"Managing 100 people from all walks of life can get complicated, but it turns you into a well-rounded person pretty quick," Knuth says. "It's also made me better at public speaking."

Service runs deep in Knuth's family, with multiple generations, including his older brother, having served in different branches of the military.

"I've always wanted to be a part of something greater than myself," Knuth says. "Joining the military is a selfless and honorable thing to do and something that I've desired since high school."

As battalion commander, Knuth has helped lead Marquette's ROTC program to notable competitive victories, including first-place finishes at the 3rd Brigade Ranger Challenge Competition in 2023 and 2024.

The team also traveled to Fort Leonard Wood in the Ozarks to represent Marquette, earning recognition as a top program in the Midwest.

Knuth also competed in the Northern Warfare Challenge, widely regarded as one of the most demanding ROTC events. On a five-person team, they took part in cold-weather skills testing, including fire building, marksmanship and casualty assessment, followed by an 18-mile trail race through the bluffs near LaCrosse in early February.

Samuel and his team at the Northern Warfare Challenge

"I was standing on a golf course, below-zero temperatures, 35 pounds on my back, about to push my body to the absolute limit," Knuth recalls. "By the end, my muscles cramped, my socks were soaked, and I was beat up head to toe."

The team finished third overall.

UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter

In summer 2024, Knuth attended Air Assault School at United States Military Academy, where the culminating event included rappelling from a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter. His family traveled to West Point for graduation day.

"My parents are my biggest supporters," Knuth says. "It meant a lot to see them after such an accomplishment."

Samuel and his mother at his graduation from West Point

The same drive for growth led Knuth overseas through Project Global Officer, where he studied Arabic while living in Muscat, Oman.

Highlights included visits to Mutrah Souq, Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, Jebel Akhdar and Salalah.

"Our excursions gave us a chance to see Oman and be fully immersed in Muslim culture," Knuth says. "Without the military, I don't think I would've ever made it to the Middle East. This experience taught me sincere cultural competence that I will apply to my nursing and military careers."

Samuel during his study abroad in the Middle East

Knuth also used his military and nursing backgrounds at the Nurse Summer Training Program, completing a monthlong externship at Madigan Army Medical Center at Joint Base-Lewis McChord in Washington state.

There he logged 150 clinical hours across the emergency department, operating room and post-anesthesia care unit.

Knuth also completed his clinical requirements at Froedtert Hospital in Milwaukee during the 2025 fall semester.

Nicole Sheldon, clinical instructor with the College of Nursing, says that Knuth consistently uplifted both patients and colleagues.

"He embodies what it means to contemplate right and wrong, and to do so with fairness and empathy," she says. "He motivates others to see their best selves, and teams thrive with this type of energy."

For Knuth, ROTC has been about more than competitions or credentials.

"ROTC has given me so many chances to step outside my comfort zone and form into the leader I need to be," he says.

As National ROTC Month highlights cadets nationwide, Knuth's journey reflects how Marquette students are preparing to serve the community. By combining academic excellence, leadership development and commitment to others that will carry forward into both military and health care careers.