While looking to the Past, Royal ushers in a New Age
by: Nicole Eley

All is quiet on Virginia Tech’s historic Upper Quad as a distant sunrise prepares to warm a cool November morning. A gentle wind rocks several droplets of dew on a blade of grass; a nearby tree shivers from the breeze; and a group of men and women stand firmly at attention, watching the American flag wave the night goodbye.  Just like every cadet before them in the past 130 years, these men and women stand as part of a rich history of the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets at morning formation.  Now, in 2005, a cadet standing among them has made history again.   

Cadet Col. Christina Royal, the highest-ranking cadet in the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets, commands a regiment of more than 700 men and women. Royal is the fourth female to achieve the rank of cadet colonel, and serves as the first African-American female regimental commander of the Corps. 

“To be in this position is a great blessing and great honor to me,” Royal said.  “But I also try not to look at it as I’m a Black female in this position, but that I’m a leader just like any of my counterparts or peers would be.”

Richard “Rock” Roszak, a retired United States Air Force colonel and former cadet who advises the corps, agreed that he didn’t see gender or race as part of Royal’s accomplishments.  He commended Royal as one of the top cadets he had seen since returning to Virginia Tech in 1994.

“She [Royal] is a cadet who has demonstrated good decision-making techniques and has great work ethic,” Roszak said.  “That is the type of person you look for in a leader and the type of person you want to follow. Yes, she is the first Black female regimental commander, but I see her as a regimental commander.”

The Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets is a leadership-training program for cadets, run by cadets.  Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week are dedicated to training and service. Cadets have the option of participating in one of three Reserve Officers Training Corps, or ROTC, programs:  Army, Navy/Marines and Air Force.  ROTC cadets are eligible to be commissioned as officers in the United States armed forces upon graduation.  Royal will be commissioned in the Air Force as a second lieutenant upon graduation this spring.

“I’ve love everything about the Air Force,” Royal said.  “They are very family conscious and family oriented.”

Family has a special meaning to Royal. She is one of seven children raised by a single parent. She describes her family bond as unbreakable.  Her mother, also named University Parent of the Year in 2004, has been one of the most influential women in her life.

“There hasn’t been a day that’s gone by [since Freshman year] that I haven’t talked to my mom.”

Royal credited her mother for her strength, but her Corps family fueled her passion to serve.

“The Corps is an experience unlike any other,” Royal said.  “It’s selfless service and service before self… in everything we do.”

Roszak said the University motto of service, “Ut Prosim,” means everything to a cadet. 

The English translation, “That I may serve,” has served the Corps of Cadets as a primary virtue since the University adopted the motto in 1896.

“You begin to think beyond yourself because you are part of a bigger whole,” Roszak said.

As a whole, the Corps is made up of 710 students.  According to the deputy commandant for recruiting, Maj. Jeffrey Fawcett, 18 percent of cadets are racial minorities and 15 percent are women.  Female enrollment decreased by 5 percent in 2005. Fawcett said the decline could not be attributed to any specific event, but added that the program historically had been a leader in the recruitment of minority cadets.  Virginia Tech was the first in the nation to open its doors to female cadets in 1973.

“We are not perfect in the Corps,” said Fawcett. “The military is not perfect, but in my opinion we are way out in front; in our attitudes; in how we train; and how opportunities are afforded to minorities.”

Lt. Col Denise Greenfield, appointed as the first female regimental commander of the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets in 1987, vouched that women in the Corps continuously filled leadership roles.

“When you look at the role played by women in the Corps, specifically the number of women holding leadership positions, and compare it to the role played by women at say VMI, Texas A&M and even the service academies, I think you’ll find that our women are placed in positions of leadership at a higher percentage,” Greenfield said.          

Texas A&M is the largest uniformed student organization in the nation.  According to Media Relations Coordinator Christi Voelkel, in 2005 10 percent of Texas A&M cadets were women, and 18 percent were racial minorities.  Four women were appointed to leadership positions in 2005.  For the Virginia Military Institute statistics are slightly lower.  In 2005, VMI enrolled 71 women (6 percent of the cadet population), and 139 cadets of racial minority background (11 percent of cadet population).  Women were not allowed to attend the institute until 1997 following a ruling by the Supreme Court.

“At first I was interested in the academies, and then I considered all the opportunities available to me at a senior military school like Tech,” Royal said. “You have the everyday lifestyle of the military, but I’m also on a civilian campus, so it’s the best of both experiences.” 

Fawcett agreed that the Virginia Tech Corps produced a well-rounded military officer because of the cadets’ exposure to civilian life.

“They witness anti-war protesting on the Drillfield, they see the diversity of civilian life,” Fawcett said.  “And in today’s world, you’re not just a war hero; you’re a diplomat, an ambassador, and you need to be flexible and need to see other people’s perspectives and backgrounds.”

Fawcett said the Corps had successfully recruited a well-rounded and diverse group of cadets each term, but admitted that administrators were continuously striving to improve the numbers. 

The university joins Fawcett’s mission to improve diversity on campus.  Tech’s vice president for multicultural affairs, Dr. Ben Dixon, said the university continues to take an active stance in the recruitment of talented minority students, and added that Virginia Tech had been in the “diversity business” since 1920 when it admitted its first woman. 

Current figures show that racial minority students make up 13.4 percent of the university, of which 4.8 percent are African-American students.  Compared to state demographics in the 2000 Census, African Americans comprised almost 20 percent of the population. Dixon said that as a public university, Virginia Tech needed to increase opportunities for deserving underrepresented groups.  That change, however, would take time and a universal commitment to diversity from the community.

“These underrepresented groups haven’t been represented, not just yesterday, but there is a legacy here that cannot be overcome overnight,” Dixon said.  “The bottom line really is how do we remove the barriers that prevent access to the talent that this university needs and wants to accomplish its mission.”

The numbers fluctuate every year, but Dixon reported a continuous improvement of campus climate, and agreed that the university had come a long way since women first entered the Corps of Cadets.

The first 25 women in the Corps were segregated from their male counterparts by uniform and residence hall; they were organized into L Squadron.  Cadet Cherly Butler, the first African-American woman in the Corps, was among the original 25 women.

L Squadron quickly became one of the prominent squadrons of the Corps.  It was awarded the Kohler Cup for Outstanding Marching three consecutive years in a row and the Beverly S. Parish Award for top squadron in 1978.  Nine years later, cadet Denise Shuster, now Lt. Col. Greenfield, earned the highest rank of regimental commander. She was first female to achieve this honor.

“I’m both proud and honored to have had the chance to lead such a fine organization,” she said.

Royal said the foundation set by Greenfield and influential leaders of the past allow female cadets to be viewed as equals today.

“Our male peers hold us up to the same standard as they would the next guy,” Royal said.

Roszak confirmed that a freshman female cadet undergoes the same training as a freshman male cadet, giving both the opportunity to earn rank.  He credits the Corps’ equal and non-biased training program for the tight knit bonds that form between cadets.

“They are brothers and sisters,” Roszak said.  “I don’t see resentment from males because females who are commanders are generally highly competent and tough as nails…there is a healthy respect there.”
 
Royal agreed that she and her cadets are like family, and that she strives to give each them of them respect and encouragement regardless of rank. 

“Yeah, I’m up here [regimental commander] as far as rank,” Royal said. “But we’re all cadets, we’re all students at this institution.”

Royal hopes she has been a leader of consistency and optimism.  She said a positive attitude and the guidance of her mentors and family were the keys to her success.  

“I am who I am because of all those people,” Royal said.