Hector Gomez, an all-source intelligence analyst for the U.S. Army, is originally from Key West, Florida. Gomez comes from a UofL family—his mom, aunt, uncle and two of his cousins are UofL graduates.

Growing up a big-time fan, Gomez knew that he wanted to attend UofL from an early age. He remembers watching UofL win the 2013 National Basketball championship with his dad and telling his friends in Florida that he was going to attend UofL.

Soon after starting at UofL, Gomez said he made the best decision he’s ever made by joining the Cardinal Marching Band, where he got to watch football games up-close.

Following his sophomore year, he withdrew from UofL for a year and attended a community and technical college.

During his first semester back at UofL in the spring of 2020, he was sent home due to the COVID pandemic. Instead of taking classes remotely, he decided to finish his classes early and enlist in the United States Army to help support his family.

After enlisting, Gomez completed basic training at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri, followed by training at the U.S. Army Intelligence Center of Excellence in Arizona. He was then assigned to Fort Eisenhower, Georgia, where he served with the 116th Military Intelligence Brigade in military intelligence analysis and open-source intelligence collection.

Gomez’s work supported numerous geographic combatant commands including United States Central Command, United States European Command and United States Indo-Pacific Command. During his service, he received several decorations and awards, including an Army Achievement Medal (AAM).

He is currently being relocated to Fort Campbell, Kentucky, where he will be closer to home.

After graduating, he plans to become commissioned as an Army Officer and either work in civil affairs or to go to law school to become an Army Judge Advocate General.

Gomez, who attends classes online, said without the support of academic advisor Sophia Draper, who always made him feel he was a priority, he would not be graduating next year.

UofL is proud to recognize and celebrate Gomez and all members and veterans of the U.S. Army on the U.S. Army’s 249th birthday, June 14.

Glasgow, Kentucky, native Christian Loos graduated from the University of Louisville in May 2022 as a Distinguished Military Graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership and Learning degree. He was commissioned into the Adjutant General Corps and is preparing to head to the Adjutant General Basic Officer Leadership Course at Fort Jackson, South Carolina.

During his time at UofL, Loos was a member of the Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Society and was a routine volunteer in the UofL and Fort Knox communities. He was recognized along with a fellow U.S. Army Reserve Officer Training Corps cadet after they provided first response and aid to victims in a multiple vehicle collision during their morning commute to campus. Another special memory from his time at UofL was being chosen as one of three individuals to represent the U.S. Army Reserve Officer Training Corps during a special campus-wide commemoration of the 20^th anniversary of 9/11. Christian said his favorite UofL moment was being recognized as Salute to Service honoree on-field at a football game with his wife and children.

Prior to commissioning, Loos was an active-duty Sergeant First Class. He earned his degree and commission via U.S. Army Cadet Command’s Green-to-Gold program, in which eligible active-duty enlisted soldiers earn a baccalaureate degree or a two-year graduate degree and earn a commission as an Army officer.

Loos served as a Cavalry Scout at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, Camp Casey, Republic of Korea, and Fort Lewis, Washington. He also temporarily served as an Army Recruiter at the U.S. Army’s only Special Categories Recruiting Station. While stationed in the Republic of Korea, Christian served on a forward station in close vicinity to the Demilitarized Zone and assisted in the demobilization of the 7th Cavalry regiment.

Christian served in multiple positions of leadership, including Platoon Sergeant, and was a distinguished Honor Graduate from multiple levels of Army Non-Commissioned Officer professional development. His favorite Army experiences were “training and mentoring soldiers” when operating as the Senior Scout and Vehicle Commander within a Stryker Platoon out of Fort Lewis, Washington.

Among the many awards Loos earned during his enlisted career were the prestigious title of Excellence in Armor. He also earned multiple Army Commendation Medals, Army Achievement Medals, and Army Good Conduct Medals, as well as the Korean Defense Service Medal; the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal; the Recruiter Gold Badge and the Drivers Badge.

Loos said he chose to pursue his degree at UofL to enable his family to be close to extended family for a while. He intends to use the skills and experience he gained in his degree program to help build effective teams during his Army career. He has plans to pursue a master’s degree.

��Christian lauded the support provided to military-connected students at UofL, especially the support provided from Kristen Roy and Carissa Gentry in the Office of Military and Veteran Student Services, as well as his “outstanding academic adviser” from the College of ����ֱ�� and Human Development, Chelsea Wicks. He also cited two dedicated faculty from the Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership and Learning program, Roger Buskill, and Kristie Ennis, and the outstanding cadre of the U.S. Army Reserve Officer Training Corps unit, particularly Captain Dakota Walker.

��

Dancy now serves with Lockheed Martin as a Talent Acquisition Sourcing Recruiter, where he assists Lockheed Martin hire Electrical Engineers, Mechanical Engineers, Cleared Technicians and Veterans with the Space Military Relations Team.

He started his military career as a field artilleryman, serving at Fort Riley, Kansas, and Fort Campbell, Kentucky. He then transitioned to being an Army Recruiter and served at Recruiting Battalions in Atlanta, Dallas and Oklahoma. Following these tours, he was chosen to be an instructor for recruiters and recruiting station commanders at the U.S. Army Recruiting and Retention College, Fort Knox, Kentucky.

Among the many awards Dancy earned during his career was the prestigious Glen E. Morrell Award, the highest recruiting award in the U.S. Army. He is also the recipient of several Meritorious Service Medals, which are presented ��to individuals who distinguished themselves by outstanding meritorious achievement or service to the United States.

Dancy chose UofL due to its unique partnership with the U.S. Army Recruiting and Retention College. Through this partnership, soldiers and instructors at the U.S. Army Recruiting and Retention College are offered an opportunity to pursue their master’s degree at UofL. The program is designed to help advanced instructors enhance their facilitation skills with adult students. Although the program is offered to every soldier, the U.S. Army Recruiting and Retention College has a screening process designed to identify soldiers most likely to succeed.

Prior to choosing UofL, Dancy had an opportunity to talk with previous students of the program. They all stressed how the faculty made themselves available to students even if the students contacted them late in the evening.��

Although he was a UofL student during the COVID epidemic, Dancy said the Department of ����ֱ��al Leadership was ready to meet the challenges and restrictions of COVID, while ensuring students were challenged. He intends to use the skills acquired in his master’s program to help him grow his second career with Lockheed Martin.

UofL is proud to call Dancy an alum, and also to celebrate the 246th birthday of the United States Army on June 14.��

Story submitted by Kyle Hurwitz, UofL’s director of Military and Online Initiatives.

Cushing, who is assigned as the assistant professor of Military Science at Jackson State University’s Reserve Officer Training Corp program, came upon the scene of a three-car accident on January 14.��He directed two bystanders to help him free a man who was trapped in one of the vehicles. When they were initially unable to get the man free, Cushing used a fire extinguisher to bend the broken window so they could extract the man.

Once the man was free of the vehicle, Cushing used his Army medical training to assess the man’s injuries and determined the man had a significant head wound. Cushing directed one of the two men who helped him to keep pressure on the man’s head as Cushing went to check on drivers and passengers in the other vehicles involved in the accident.

At the second car, he found a woman whose arm and shoulder appeared to be hurt, though there no signs of major bleeding. Once he determined the woman’s injuries weren’t life threatening, Cushing went to check on the third vehicle, but the driver had apparently fled the scene.

When the Emergency Medical Technicians arrived, Cushing helped load the seriously injured driver into the ambulance. With the assistance of a police officer who had arrived on the scene, Cushing then searched the man’s car for his phone. He used the phone to call the injured man’s girlfriend to let her know what happened and what hospital the man was being taken to.

Cushing started in UofL’s Master of Arts in Higher ����ֱ�� Administration program as part of U.S. Army Cadet Command’s Master Educator Course. The course, a collaboration between UofL and U.S. Army Cadet Command’s, is a two semester experience, including a four-week instructor boot camp, focused on the knowledge and skills Army officers and senior non-commissioned officers need to be effective senior Reserve Office Training Corps (ROTC) instructors.��

Upon completion of the Master Educator Course, soldiers earn 18 semester credit hours toward UofL’s Master of Arts in Higher ����ֱ�� Administration degree. The soldiers then have the opportunity to complete the remaining 18 semester credit hours in the program to earn their Master of Arts in Higher ����ֱ�� Administration degree.

Cushing is scheduled to graduate from UofL’s Master of Arts in Higher ����ֱ�� Administration program in May 2021.

Story written by Kyle Hurwitz, director of UofL’s Military and Online Initiatives.

Welcomed in 2018 on the condition he would keep up his grades, Kridos graduates this month with his bachelor’s in political science. He credits his parents and UofL’s dedication to every student’s success for giving him the second chance he needed to make his dreams come true.

“The only place that even gave me an opportunity to show that I had matured and learned from my mistakes was UofL by admitting me on a GPA-restricted basis,” said Kridos, who transferred from Methodist University in North Carolina. “Granting me this opportunity was a blessing, as I was able to make use of all the programs they have in place to make students successful, such as (Resources for Academic Achievement) and other tutoring services and now will be graduating with a 3.8 GPA. I’m so thankful UofL took a chance on me and I was able to obtain my degree.”

The former Army corporal and Coral Springs, Florida, native served at Fort Campbell as a field artillery operator. He graduated from at the top of his class and earned four Army commendation medals. He worked part-time at The Cheesecake Factory while taking his UofL classes and plans to go to law school in the fall.

In the spring, with a busy schedule of 21 credit hours, the sudden change to online classes due to the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions “threw me for a loop at first,” he said.��

“Taking 21 credit hours a semester already presents its own challenges, but then to abruptly move all of that online … was very tough. But I was able to overcome and finish that semester with all As,” he said. “This fall semester has been much smoother and my professors are very accommodating.”

Among his favorite professors was Tami Harbolt of women’s, gender and sexuality studies.��

“She cares about her students and it shows,” he said. “The amount of times she had one-on-one conversations with me after class just to gauge how I was doing or check on my mental health is something I will forever be grateful for.”

Kridos said he is also thankful for his parents, who “worked tirelessly my entire life to make sure I always had a roof over my head and a meal to eat. … My graduation is because of them. They believed in me when no one else did and I can’t explain what it means to have that type of support and inspiration in your life every day.”��

We think you just did, corporal.

Each year, medical students throughout the United States receive their written match notices precisely at noon on the third Friday of March – Match Day. UofL medical students experienced a 97-percent match rate, with 42 percent going into primary care.

The provides a uniform process for matching medical school applicants with residency programs based on the preferences of both. A matching algorithm uses those preferences to match individuals into positions.

already knew what was in his envelope because of a separate military match program, but he was excited to join his classmates in the Match Day celebration on Friday.

“The true beauty of my medical school experience is the friendships; those relationships and memories are what made the tough times better and the journey worthwhile,” he said.

Tomlinson, who also earned two undergraduate degrees at UofL, will continue his medical training in Internal Medicine as a captain in the U.S. Air Force at Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio.

A native of Louisville, Tomlinson has a family history of military service, including his grandfather who served in the Marines and an uncle who was a fighter pilot in the Air Force.

Although Tomlinson had no military experience prior to medical school, he was accepted into the , where students agree to serve as a military physician in exchange for a full tuition scholarship and monthly stipend. He then joined the Air Force, and went on to complete Commissioned Officer Training and a course in Aerospace Medicine.

Ian Bastian of Madisonville, Kentucky, also completed medical school through the Health Professions Scholarship Program.

“I have enjoyed my medical school rotations at military treatment facilities,” said Bastian, a second lieutenant��in the Army. “Treating soldiers and their families is a rewarding experience, and I look forward to continuing it during residency.”

Bastian will go to Madigan Army Medical Center located on Joint Base Lewis-McChord just south of Tacoma, Washington, for neurology residency training.

“My first encounter with a patient in the neurology clinic at the end of my first year was perhaps the most memorable aspect of medical school,” Bastian said. “Prior to that patient evaluation, I had not considered neurology as a career choice – it was that experience that led me into the neurology specialty.”

Both Tomlinson and Bastian say they are excited about the next step in their educational journeys.

“I don’t know where my future might take me, but I hope to return to Louisville one day because I love my city. It will always be my first home,” Tomlinson said.

Check out some scenes from Match Day:��

In both ceremonies, each new officer received a commission certificate, then family members or friends pinned bars to the service members’ uniforms. The tradition of the first salute followed, in which the new second lieutenant presented a silver dollar to the first enlisted person who rendered a salute.

During the Cardinal Battalion Army ROTC ceremony in Middleton Auditorium, the 15 UofL cadets and an additional two Bellarmine University cadets were each commissioned a second lieutenant and assigned to their branches. In addition to numerous family members and friends, Bellarmine University President Susan Donovan attended, as did UofL College of Arts and Sciences Dean Kimberly Kempf-Leonard.

Guest speaker retired U.S. Army Major General Byron S. Bagby, whose daughter Jessica ��graduated from UofL in 2013, told the cadets their success would depend on their attitude.

He reminded them that the commissioning marks a transition in their lives, and they will be leading “America’s sons and daughters,” whose parents have put their trust in these new platoon leaders.

Lt. Col. Jessica Murnock, UofL professor of military science, said in opening remarks that most of the thousands of UofL graduates participating in the weekend’s commencement exercises wouldn’t know that this small group of “brave young men and women” had volunteered to defend their freedom.

The following Army cadets were promoted: Hermilo Acuna, Rachel Bierman, Alexsis Carter, Nicholas Christopher, Charles Creed, Caroline Duplessis, Lukas Esterle, Molly Haebig, Eilish Haggerty, Zachary McCabe, Ryan McGuire, Reed McKinley, Katrina Riley, Chelsea Slayton (Bellarmine), Hunter Smith (Bellarmine), James Van Pelt and Trevor Williams.

UofL’s Army ROTC has commissioned more than 400 officers during its 36-year history.

In a separate ceremony in the Swain Student Activities Center, five Air Force ROTC cadets were commissioned. They were Benjamin See, Suzanne Miller, Brian Morrow, Judson Adams and Elliott Cabrera.

The Air Force cadets are part of the 295th Air Force ROTC Cadet Wing, led by Lt. Col. Jerry Crigger.

Foley Hart, a Kent School of Social Work graduate student, thinks so and will soon launch a study to examine how the outdoors — including contact with horses — might help people with depression and posttraumatic stress disorder.

Hart, who graduates May 12 with a master’s degree in social work, said her interest in the topic evolved over several years and was influenced by her military experience, a newfound interest in horses and coursework at the Kent School.

“I just put all of the pieces together,” Hart said. “I’m drawn to help individuals who have major depressive order and PTSD. My thinking was to find ways to make treatment more affordable and to embrace natural therapies.”

Hart has landed a job with Healing Trails, an Ohio-based nonprofit that specializes in equine assisted psychotherapy (EAP). In this new role, she will earn EAP certification, work with girls aged 13-17 who have faced trauma, and conduct research on how lifestyle can influence mental health.

“I will be looking specifically at how various aspects of a person’s life (such as their diet, exercise, amount of time spent outdoors, etc.) can impact the success or failure of their therapy plan,” Hart said. “The Kent School set me up with a foundation that gave me the confidence to pursue this particular path in therapy and I feel very lucky to be a part of it all.”

While other studies have examined the correlation between the outdoors and depression, Hart says few of those studies adhere to research evidence examining protocols.

A Texas native, Hart graduated in 2012 from University of Texas at Arlington with a degree in psychology and, building on her college ROTC experience, joined the Army and went to Fort Knox for military training.

“I started looking into horses after moving to Kentucky,” she said. “I was inspired by a friend who was into horse racing and he showed me ‘the horse life.’”

Hart started working on her UofL degree in 2014 and completed her coursework online while serving in Kuwait. She has never set foot on a UofL campus.

She remains on active duty until September and is currently stationed at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. After she moves to Ohio to begin her career in social work, she will also take command of the 304^th Engineer Company, based in Lima.

In what seems like destiny, the move to Ohio also means that Hart’s husband, John, will realize his own dream of taking over the family farm, which is located nearby. The Harts, who have four children in their blended family, plan to live on the farm.

Hart said she appreciates how much UofL has done to help her realize her dreams.

“Kent School has been so wonderful and flexible in allowing me to juggle work, family and school,” she said. “Without this support, I don’t know if I ever could have completed my degree.”

Watch below as Interim Provost Neville Pinto, Dean Kempf-Leonard, Dean Usher, Coach Lolla, Coach Walz and others take the plunge.��