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Balancing Books and Battle Drills
Ramapo Student Finds Purpose in ROTC
By Mark Gregorio | Fall 2025
When Olivia Adamson ’26 first mentioned the Army to her parents, it was a surprise. The idea seemed unlikely since no one in her family had a military background. Her parents had been encouraging her younger brother to explore Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC), but Olivia became intrigued. A spontaneous trip to a military air show sparked her interest, and soon after, she asked her parents if she could pursue a career in the Army.
Adamson recalled, “I turned to my parents and said, Can I do this?” That was when I knew I wanted to join the Army and become an officer through Ramapo’s ROTC program.”
Today, Adamson is a nursing student, an ROTC cadet at Ramapo College and the battalion commander for her Army ROTC unit hosted at Seton Hall University. She has completed challenging nursing clinicals and intensive Army training and has led fellow cadets with the same dedication she applies to patient care.
“It’s definitely a lot of balancing,” she said. “Academics come first. Nursing comes first. But ROTC gives me a greater purpose in life. It makes everything connect.”
A First for Ramapo
Adamson is uniquely distinguished: she is the first Ramapo nursing student to participate in ROTC. Her dual commitment has given her a perspective few students share.
Her clinical training has taken her from Hackensack Meridian Hospital, where she rotated through maternity and pediatric units, to Womack Army Medical Center at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Last summer, she completed the Army’s Nursing Summer Training Program (NSTP), logging nearly 150 hours in the intensive care unit and emergency department.
“Working with soldiers who had jump injuries, amputations and vehicle accidents taught me so much,” Adamson said. “I even got to see firsthand how Special Forces medics operate. It was humbling to be part of their world, even briefly.”
NSTP wasn’t just about medicine. It was about seeing Army values come to life.
“During a multi-patient trauma, I watched an Army captain calmly delegate roles while the entire team—medics, nurses, physicians and civilian staff—worked seamlessly together,” Adamson said. “What could have been chaos was instead focused, coordinated and mission-driven. That experience showed me how leadership and respect are ingrained in Army healthcare.”
For Joe Connell, assistant vice president of student success and the college’s ROTC liaison, Adamson’s success reflects the program’s momentum.
“Two years ago, President Jebb asked me if we could grow ROTC at Ramapo,” Connell said. “Today, we’re preparing to celebrate three cadets commissioning as officers in 2026.”
He highlights Adamson’s success as battalion commander as a milestone. “Olivia is leading the cadets. That speaks volumes about the caliber of our students.”
Ramapo College President Cindy Jebb noted the program’s impact. “Through ROTC, our students develop leadership, discipline and confidence that extend far beyond the training field,” she said. “These qualities complement their academic pursuits and character, preparing them for lives of impact and purpose.”
“Being commander means I get to teach what I’ve learned, both in the classroom and the field.”
— Olivia Adamson ’26
Commanding the Battalion
As battalion commander for Seton Hall’s ROTC program, Adamson embodies the rank. She communicates between cadets and the battalion’s lieutenant colonel, ensuring her peers have what they need to succeed.
“Being commander means I get to teach what I’ve learned, both in the classroom and the field,” Adamson said. “It’s about mentoring cadets, helping them prepare for the next steps in their Army careers and making sure their voices are heard.”
She says her leadership style has become more confident and decisive through training. At Fort Campbell, Kentucky, she graduated from the demanding Sabalauski Air Assault School. The three-week program tested her endurance, mental toughness and courage under extreme weather conditions. Cadets are trained in helicopter operations, rappelling, sling-load procedures and combat assault techniques.
“You learn discipline, but more importantly, you learn decisiveness,” she said. “As a leader, you must make and own the call.”
Connell sees Adamson as part of a growing tradition. “Watching Olivia and cadets like Officer Nick Calhman ’25, who commissioned this year, shows how far we’ve come,” he said. “Our students are gaining confidence, resilience and leadership skills that will serve them for life.”
President Jebb emphasized the broader impact. “The continued growth of the ROTC program strengthens our campus and communities,” she said. “Alongside our rich liberal arts curriculum, the program provides our students with an additional opportunity to lead, succeed and carry forward a tradition of service that benefits not just Ramapo, but the world beyond.”
Family in Formation
For Adamson, ROTC is more than a personal calling; it’s become a family affair. Her younger brother, also a Ramapo nursing student, has just started his first year as a cadet in ROTC.
“We push each other during ruck marches and fitness tests,” she said. “It’s competitive, but supportive. Our family is so proud that both of us are part of this.”
Her mother, a strong role model with South African roots, has been her biggest champion. “My mom inspires me every day,” Adamson said. “She’s the one who taught me to be resilient.”
Finding Purpose in Service
While Adamson’s journey has included wearing Disney costumes (she once dressed up for sick children through Ramapo’s A Moment of Magic student organization), her focus now is on a future in Army medicine. She aims to commission as a second lieutenant, attend Army Ranger School and eventually serve as an emergency nurse on a forward surgical team.
“My dream is to work at Walter Reed Army Medical Center or be deployed in a field hospital,” Adamson said. “I want to be in the middle of it, caring for soldiers in the toughest situations. To me, that’s the purest form of nursing and service.”
Meeting role models like President Cindy Jebb, a retired U.S. Army brigadier general and former dean at West Point, and Army Surgeon General Lt. Gen. Nadja West has only strengthened her resolve. “These leaders show me what’s possible,” Adamson said. “They remind me that being a soldier isn’t just about wearing a uniform, it’s about living with purpose.”
Looking Ahead
Adamson admits her journey hasn’t always been easy. The rigor of Ramapo’s nursing program is intense; add ROTC responsibilities, and the days can stretch from dawn workouts to late-night clinical prep.
But for Adamson, it’s worth it.
“ROTC has taught me discipline and how to reinforce it in others,” she said. “It’s given me confidence in my voice and my leadership. It’s shown me that I can handle more than possible.”
When she graduates, Adamson will commission as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army Nurse Corps. Her goal is to keep pushing boundaries as a nurse, a soldier and a leader.
“This program prepares us to be nurses, but more importantly, it shapes us as leaders who serve with honor and courage,” she said. “That’s the standard I want to carry forward.”