Enacting battle plans for air combat is an unusual job description for most graduating marketing majors, but Alex Pagano says she’ll be poised and ready for a career in the U.S. Air Force once she completes her studies at the University of Iowa in the spring.
Alex Pagano
Hometown: Los Angeles
Areas of study: marketing and aerospace studies
Graduation: May 2017
Activities:
UI Air Force ROTC
Chi Omega: Psi Beta Chapter
Tippie International Buddies Program
UI Homecoming Council
Pagano, who hails from Los Angeles, came to the UI to study marketing but later joined the UI’s Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) in an effort to find her niche on campus.
“Air Force ROTC is a super organization,” says Pagano, who served as cadet wing commander for her unit during the fall 2016 semester. “It requires you to be the best kind of citizen you can be. I’ve learned a lot about myself and how to be a better leader.”
After joining Air Force ROTC her sophomore year, Pagano quickly rose through the ranks to become wing commander, where she oversaw all training and volunteer activities of undergraduate cadets. She also has led field training exercises where she had the chance to mentor students from across the nation.
“Once you mold people and help them reach their potential, you feel a lot more confident in yourself,” says Pagano.
Now approaching graduation, the UI senior is combining her marketing major and aerospace studies minor for her honors thesis. Pagano is using market segmentation research to help the UI’s Air Force ROTC program identify students for recruitment.
More than just military training
Though the ultimate goal of the Air Force ROTC program is for students to receive commissions and become officers, it also serves as a training environment where students learn leadership and time-management skills, whether or not they choose to join the military.
“My expectation is that each cadet will learn more about career opportunities in the U.S. Air Force, become immersed in our core values, and have the opportunity to make an educated decision about whether military service is the right choice for them,” says Lt. Col. John Briner. “It’s a great opportunity for us to expose students to something they may have never thought about before.”
The experience will be valuable as she prepares to start her dream career as an air battle manager at Tyndall Air Force Base in Panama City, Florida, where she will be trained to make crucial decisions about air combat missions.
Lt. Col. John Briner, commander of the UI’s Air Force ROTC detachment, says it’s no surprise that Pagano has been so successful during her time at the UI.
“Alex has a commanding presence that makes anyone want to follow her. She’s very hardworking—almost to her detriment—in that she never lets anything slip off of her plate,” says Briner. “She’s totally dedicated to anything she puts her mind to.”
Pagano also credits mentors such as UI Marketing Lecturer Mark Winkler and Jennifer Blair, assistant director of academic success initiatives at the Tippie College of Business, for playing a key role in her success.
“They are so driven to help students,” says Pagano. “I always expected to like teachers at Iowa, but it’s cool to feel like I have a relationship with instructors who know me by name and are willing to advise me throughout my academic process.”
Pagano says her experience at Iowa has prepared her for her next mission.
“The biggest thing college taught me was how to not overcommit and how to manage my time,” says Pagano. “I’ve participated in several extracurricular activities and held jobs throughout my college experience, and learning how to balance those things is going to be the most practical life skill I can carry into active duty service.”