Before her graduation from Hamilton, Katie Tenefrancia ’19 packed up and headed to Fort Benning, Ga., where she began the Armor Basic Officer Leader’s Course (BOLC). Tenefrancia has been active in the ROTC program at Syracuse University for the past four years and plans to become an armor platoon leader after undergoing training.
At BOLC, Tenefrancia will learn the specific responsibilities and procedures of an Armor officer, whose duties include planning training exercises and everyday tasks for a platoon of soldiers and tanks and ultimately leading them in combat.
“I am very excited for this opportunity, as combat arms roles have only recently been opened up for women,” Tenefrancia said. “I’ll have the opportunity to be in the first generation of female combat arms officers.”
Major: Government
Hometown: Port Chester, N.Y.
High School: Greenwich Academy
Tenefrancia cites ROTC for the development of her leadership skills and the formation of numerous friendships, both with Hamilton students and with students from other local schools. She said that she has long had a desire to serve which is what drove her to participate in ROTC.
“Overall, ROTC gave me a new perspective on my life as a student,” Tenefrancia said. “I feel I was able to appreciate Hamilton, and hopefully contribute positively to the community, due to my experiences with ROTC.”
On campus, Tenefrancia had a large support system, as she was a member of the women’s soccer team and was involved with the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).
“The outpouring of support from certain professors, coaches, and friends is something I could not have even imagined,” she said. “It definitely inspired me through some of the more stressful or trying times and is a testament to the community at Hamilton.”
