Students Explore NROTC Pathways for Leadership and Service | News | Portsmouth Abbey School, Rhode Island

Recently, the Abbey welcomed back Dylan Galbreth ’25 and Gabriel Devaney ’25, recent graduates now in their first year of college and actively participating in NROTC programs, to speak with current students about their experiences.

During their visit, Dylan (Navy Option) and Gabriel (Marine Option) offered a candid, practical overview of the NROTC journey, from how the application and scholarship process works, to program expectations, time commitments and the realities of balancing NROTC with academic life. They also shared honest reflections on their first semester in uniform, giving students a clear-eyed sense of both the challenges and rewards that come with the program.

For many Abbey students, NROTC represents not only a pathway to military service, but also an opportunity to grow as leaders, developing discipline, accountability and a commitment to service that extends well beyond college. Whether students arrived already interested in NROTC or simply curious, the conversation provided space to ask questions, test assumptions and consider how this path might align with their own goals.

Joey Leverault ’26, recently awarded the full NROTC (Marine Option) Scholarship, shared that compared to other commissioning routes, NROTC allows him to pursue an education that aligns with both his academic and personal goals. Through NROTC, he explained, he can attend one of his dream schools while developing as both a student and a future officer in the United States Marine Corps. “After careful thought and consideration,” Joey said, “I found the NROTC path to be more flexible and personally rewarding. Great leadership begins with a commitment to the success of the team and a willingness to put others first. NROTC will demand that I dedicate myself to something far greater than myself: service to my country.” He also noted that through discipline, hard work and perseverance, the program will help shape him into a leader prepared to serve the greater good.

The visit underscored a broader core value within the Abbey community: that leadership takes many forms, and that thoughtful preparation for service, military or otherwise, remains a powerful expression of the School’s ability to form young people of character, purpose and responsibility.