Cadet 2nd Lt. Jessica Calderon holds a variety of leadership roles as a student at the University of North Georgia (UNG) including platoon leader in the Corps of Cadets and executive officer for the Ranger Challenge specialty unit. She also serves as vice president of the Latin American Student Organization (LASO) in 2022-23.
Calderon, who is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing with an expected graduation date of December 2024, sees leadership as a function of teamwork.
"Leadership is leading from the front as you're also taking care of your comrades. You make sure they're prepared and on the pathway to success," she said. "You help them reach their goals. I can guide people who want assistance in the right direction."
Calderon is a recipient of the Georgia Military Service Scholarship (GMSS). Each year, the state offers the GMSS, which is worth more than $85,000 per cadet, to 42 Georgia high school seniors who attend UNG, serve in the Georgia Army National Guard while in the corps, and commission as second lieutenants in the Georgia Army National Guard after graduating with bachelor's degrees.
She appreciates the perspective the National Guard has provided.
"Always be willing to learn. No matter what position you're in, there's always something you can learn from someone else," Calderon said. "It's always good to be humble."
She said her approachability and relatability are the foundations of her relationships.
"People know I'm not going to boss them around. They can come to me and know I won't yell at them and tell them they're wrong," Calderon said. "Let other people know you're a person and a college student, and we're all here for our main goal, which is to get an education."
That mentality is also part of what inspired her desire to enter the medical field, particularly the Army Nurse Corps.
"For as long as I can remember, it's what I've wanted to do. I'm a people person," she said. "Knowing I can save a life or be the difference between sickness and health warms my heart."
Through it all, Calderon sees the support of family, friends, fellow students, faculty, and staff as instrumental in her success thus far at UNG. Those individuals have emboldened her for the future, as well.
"I’m here and I'm doing it," Calderon said. "I can't look back. I can only look forward from here."
