Coral Montalvo

2nd Lt. Coral Montalvo learned not to worry as much about what she didn't know but to focus on how she could grow at the University of North Georgia (UNG).

Montalvo, who graduated in May 2019 with a bachelor's degree in kinesiology, appreciates how the Corps of Cadets instilled that mindset in her.

"I learned there is room to grow no matter how much you think you've grown already," the Lawrenceville, Georgia, woman said. "There will always be another failure that will lead you to success. It's kind of like a cycle, but you grow throughout the revolutions."

Montalvo commissioned into the U.S. Army National Guard aviation branch as a pilot.

She held a variety of positions in the Corps, some of which gave her supervision of an entire residence hall and others that placed her as company leader. Montalvo said these experiences at UNG developed her character.

"I used to be very shy, introverted and hesitant and cautious and not self-confident," she said. "Now I feel like I've turned a whole new leaf to being the same person but with better qualities."

Montalvo shared what she learned with younger cadets.

"It gives me comfort in knowing that I'm doing the most I can to prepare somebody in a way that I wasn't," she said. "That's my one goal in mentorship is making sure that someone feels prepared and gains confidence from that preparedness so they can set forth and do the things that they really want to do."

Montalvo is a recipient of the University of North Georgia Military Scholarship. The state of Georgia offers 42 of these scholarships per year to high school seniors who attend UNG and commit to commission as officers in the Georgia Army National Guard upon graduation. The four-year scholarship pays for room, meals, tuition, books, uniforms, and fees.

One of the highlights of her time at UNG was her graduation from Advanced Camp, where rising seniors in the Corps are tested on their military and leadership skills for a month in the summer. The camp allows U.S. Army Cadet Command to assess a cadet's proficiency as a future officer.

Montalvo began work on an online master's degree in organizational leadership with a concentration in health care management at Brenau University in May 2019, and her long-term goal is clinic management. Montalvo wants to shadow or intern at a sports clinic or hospital.

"I respect health care professionals, and based on my strengths, I would love to manage a health care facility to help them operate efficiently, grow and be successful," Montalvo said.

Wherever she ends up, Montalvo knows UNG played a pivotal role in her preparation.

"I'm certainly more ready right now than any of my other friends who didn't attend the University of North Georgia, who didn't put themselves out there in the cadet program," Montalvo said. "I feel like I'm leaps and bounds ahead of my friends who are at other institutions, so I'm really proud of that."