Name: Billy Pershing
Year: Freshman
Hometown: Hingham, Mass.
Major: Undecided but potentially business
Favorite food: Pulled Pork Sandwich
This freshman is kicking it in ROTC and put his skills to the test at a mock military base in Fort Jackson a few weeks ago. Find out what he likes to do in his free time and how he would spend his perfect date! Meet this week’s Campus Cutie and rising cadet – Billy Pershing!
HC (Her Campus): What got you interested in doing ROTC?
BP (Billy Pershing): My grandfather served in the war, and my dad was a military child. My brother did ROTC at the University of Virginia, so I’ve always felt the need to serve because of my family lineage.
HC: What’s your favorite part about ROTC?
BP: I love the sports teams – I played football in high school – and I like the brotherhood and teamwork. It’s a lot of fun. I’ve already met a lot of other really cool guys who do ROTC here.
HC: What’s the most challenging part about ROTC?
BP: Waking up! This morning I had to wake up at 4:45 a.m.
HC: Oh wow!
BP: Yeah, I just got up from a nap. It’s brutal. We do short workouts that aren’t that bad; it’s just the waking up [that’s bad]. Workouts vary, but it tends to be more running and plyometric. And then, on my own time with friends, I work out at the gym. I’m thinking about doing Ranger Challenge next year. They do a lot more, and they have to get up [early] four or five days a week. I imagine I’m going to take a lot more naps when I do that!
HC: I heard you guys just went to camp a few weeks ago!
BP: [We went to] Fort Jackson. It was a lot of fun, and it was a totally new experience for me. It was in South Carolina for three days where we stayed on a fake base to make us feel like we were in the Middle East.
HC: That’s intense! Can you describe what camp was like?
BP: We went shooting, took apart and cleaned weapons, and did land navigation during the day and at night. It was the first real experience [I had] to see what it was like to be on a base. Everything was very scheduled, like at night we had to do something called “fire watch.” It involves getting up in the middle of the night and taking shifts. There wasn’t any actual enemy, but we had to pretend. I would only get like three hours of sleep each night. It was definitely a cool experience. The only bad part was that there were no showers! It was pretty disgusting, and I wasn’t prepared for that at all. The first thing I did when I got back was shower.
HC: Why do they make you guys only sleep for three hours?
BP: I think it has to do with fire watches and doing shifts at night. I think it’s just for discipline and willpower – just to show that you’re dedicated to following directions.
HC: What did you do to stay up for 21 hours a day?
BP: I just got up and did it and was exhausted all the time. We had a lot of good, high morale to get motivation up. Everyone’s in the same situation so everyone’s got each other’s backs. If they can do it, then I know I can do it. But when I got back, I slept for like a day.
HC: What are your plans after ROTC?
BP: I will go into the army for four years. I want to go to law school, which will extend my time in the military a little bit. Right now, I want to get my education so I can try to be a military lawyer and then work in a law firm back in the “civilian world.”
HC: What’s the most memorable experience you have had at Wake so far?
BP: I’ve met a good group of friends, and we had a family dinner one night. We had it downstairs in the lounge of our dorm. We sat around a ping pong table and got all dressed up. The girls cooked food, and it was a lot of fun. It was after we had been here for a week and a half, so that felt good to get settled in.
HC: What are some hobbies you like to do in your free time?
BP: I like to play sports. I signed up for the climbing club and club lacrosse team. I like to stay active. Other than that, I love watching college football and pro football.
HC: What are your favorite college teams other than Wake?
BP: Notre Dame, and they are undefeated. For NFL: Patriots all the way!
HC: If you could try any new activity, sport, or hobby, what would that be?
BP: Hockey. I’m bad at skating, but I enjoy it a lot. I’m from the Boston area, so hockey is a huge sport. I just love watching it, and I love the Bruins.
HC: Where is your favorite place to travel?
BP: I’ve been to Costa Rica twice, and I loved it so much. When we go on trips, my mom always plans stuff like horseback riding, ziplining, and walks through the rainforest. And when I was a kid, I was a big nature freak.
HC: If you could sing one song on American idol, what would it be?
BP: I have a brutal singing voice, but “White Tiger” by Izzy Bizu.
HC: What would your superpower be?
BP: To stop time. There would be so many advantages.
HC: Do you have a celebrity crush?
BP: Rachel McAdams from “The Notebook.”
HC: And what do you look for in a girl?
BP: A sense of humor is big. You’ve got to be fun and willing to do new things. And athletic – I like girls who stay fit and work out.
HC: What would you do on an ideal date?
BP: I would do things that I enjoy and not just a fancy dinner – things that are fun, like movies or mini golfing. I feel like that lets you be yourself.
HC: Finally, what mantra do you try to live your life by?
BP: It’s what we say in ROTC, “Do today what others don’t, so tomorrow you can accomplish what others won’t.” Push yourself today so that tomorrow you will be ahead of the game.