Spring 2025
Dear Northwestern NROTC Alumni and Friends,
The achievements of the Northwestern University NROTC Unit and its midshipmen over the past three years have been nothing short of extraordinary. Recent Crow’s Nest articles and Board correspondence to alumni and friends have documented the improvements in both the quality of our midshipmen performance but also impressive increases in Unit enrollment numbers. The qualitative and quantitative improvements exceed anything experienced in many years. The command’s focused improvement strategy is illustrated by the Unit’s annual enrollment increase recorded in Fall 2024 of 72% - up to 31 students. This significant improvement in enrollment has been paralleled with strong retention. At least as impressive has been indicia reported in this and the past Crow’s Nest articles detailing exceptional academic, training and overall performance in all four midshipmen class cohorts. When compared with midshipmen cohorts in other NROTC Units, the Northwestern based Chicago Consortium stands head and shoulders above its counterparts. All this at a time when recruitment of qualified youth into national service is a challenge.
A key part of this broad-based improvement has resulted from the command’s focus in the Chicago Consortium member schools on program visibility. Measures have been implemented to ensure Consortium midshipmen are viewed in their respective communities as integral parts of campus life. The Scholarship Fund has also supported the command fucus by ensuring financial support is available when and where needed to attract and retain midshipmen coping with significant increases in the costs of a higher education. Affordability of higher education for many of our midshipmen is a determining factor in pursuing their passion to earn a commission in the U.S. Navy or Marine Corps. The Fund’s annual awards allow many of midshipmen to pursue their passion.
In the Board’s Spring 2024 letter, attention of alumni and friends was invited to the greatly increased costs of higher education at Consortium schools. As the Unit attained record levels of recruitment and retention in the past three years, it has done so with the generous support of alumni and friends who meet midshipmen financial needs through Scholarship Fund financial awards. Through tax deductible contributions to a fund not available to midshipmen at other NROTC units, alumni and friends directly support the focused strategy of attracting and retaining the nation’s best students to Naval service.
Alumni and friends are asked to acknowledge the extraordinary achievements of Captain Edwards and his Naval Science faculty and staff. The NU based Chicago Consortium is a national leader among Naval ROTC Units in both quality of its midshipmen and overall enrollment strength. Attaining this status has been no accident. It is attributable to a concerted, focused, and collaborative strategy to build an NROTC unit second to none. Your collaborative financial support of the Unit has made a difference. Stay the course with continued significant tax-free contributions to build on our success.
As you read this letter and review recent Crow’s Nest updates, please consider making a donation using the enclosed form or electronically through our website (www.nu-nrotc.org). The Board also welcomes alumni biographical updates and contact information using the enclosed form as well as help in finding alums with whom contact has been lost. Alumni news may be included in future Crow’s Nest articles and on the alumni website. We also encourage alumni to connect via LinkedIn by joining the Northwestern University and Loyola University Navy ROTC Alumni group (14606758). Finally, the Scholarship Board welcomes expressions of interest from alumni who may wish to serve as directors of the board in the future. Contact may be made through nunrotc.scholarship@gmail.com.
Best Regards,
Anthony Fessler
NU, Class of 1970
A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE FLORIDA DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE (800-435-7352) OR ONLINE AT www.FloridaConsumerHelp.com. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE. REGISTRATION #: CH 5534.
Thank
You!