The North Carolina A&T State University Army ROTC program held its spring 2026 commissioning ceremony May 8. The program is commonly referred to as the Aggie Battalion and includes several colleges and universities in the Greensboro area, including Elon University.
Elon senior Erin Hroncich was among twelve cadets who transitioned to second lieutenants in the United States Army. The ceremony denotes graduating students as officers, and involves swearing an oath to defend the U.S. Constitution, pinning gold bars onto their uniforms and performing a first salute — often done to a mentor or enlisted soldier.
Hroncich has a major in public policy with a focus on urban economics and a minor in communications, and spent her time at Elon photographing athletic events, serving as an engagement intern for the Catholic Campus Ministry and completing law-focused courses as a legal scholar.
Hroncich told Elon News Network she always knew she wanted to join the military or a similar career path while also furthering her education. She also said she earned a full ride scholarship which influenced her decision to join ROTC.
“I also had something that was drawing me to service and to something bigger than myself,” Hroncich said.
According to Sean Giovanello, Elon’s ROTC program coordinator, there are about 15 total Elon students in either the Army or Air Force ROTC program. Graduating seniors tend to be the smallest class because students drop the program due to an overwhelming workload, medical reasons, change in interest or few available scholarships.
“It’s worth remembering how hard this work is and how much it takes from the students,” Giovanello said. “I also think it reflects some of the larger things we see in American life, where there’s a smaller percentage of the population that have served or have a family member that has served, and so forth.”
While Hroncich was the only Elon ROTC graduate this year, she said she has formed stronger connections with her fellow ROTC students and been exposed to new experiences.
“It’s such a great experience to be able to go to a different program, especially an HBCU, when you come from a school like Elon,” Hroncich said. “It’s important to be able to meet different people who have different backgrounds, who go to a different school than you. I personally feel like it’s helped me grow a lot and experience a lot more in college.”
However, Hroncich said the past four years have been challenging. She has physical training about four times a week, where she wakes up at 4:30 a.m. to arrive at NC A&T by 5:45 a.m. She also has a lab class once a week to further develop tactical skills.
“I would say the biggest thing I've learned is personal discipline,” Hroncich said. “There are a lot of times that I wanted to quit and give up, and there are times that I felt like I didn't have what it takes to be an officer.”
Giovanello said this is felt by many ROTC students who have to balance their military training and regular college life.
“They’re up before lots of students maybe even go to bed at Elon,” Giovanello said. “In addition to their part time work with the Army, which can feel like a full time commitment for students, they are also full time students at Elon and deeply immersed in campus.”
The Aggie Battalion commissioning ceremony recognized eight men and four women. Hroncich said her biggest takeaway from the event is she hopes to see the military grow to include more marginalized groups.
“The world is going to be changing so much and so fast, and one of the most important things to do is make sure that you have women in spaces like these and people of color in spaces like these,” Hroncich said. “It’s so important for us to make sure everyone’s being represented, because this is who represents us abroad, and that should reflect the entire U.S., not just one specific group.”
After the ceremony, Giovanello expressed pride in the ROTC class and faith in younger generations to continue dedicating themselves to defending American ideals.
“We read so many things that are negative about the youth today, and I kind of feel that just working at a college, what is often reported or discussed in the media does not mirror what we see on college campuses,” Giovanello said. “Certainly coming to something like this, you see that, in evidence, and maybe even more so, where so many students have dedicated themselves to improving themselves and serving the future.”
Hroncich plans to begin her military career in the U.S. Army Reserve as a military intelligence officer.