Rooted in Purpose, Presence and Professionalism
NROTC trains a new generation of leaders at William & Mary
July 30, 2025
By
Capt. Matt Frauenzimmer, USN
“When they zig, we zag.” That phrase, which anchored President Katherine A. Rowe’s recent From the Brafferton column, captures not only William & Mary’s posture in the changing higher education landscape, but also the ethos of our nation’s newest Naval ROTC (NROTC) crosstown unit.
This past year marked an extraordinary chapter for William & Mary, when the Department of the Navy signed an agreement with Hampton University and William & Mary, allowing students to join the NROTC unit. The establishment of an NROTC crosstown unit on this historic campus is one more example of the university charting its own course. At a time when public trust in higher education wavers nationally, William & Mary remains a place where confidence, commitment and innovation converge. That’s exactly the environment the naval service seeks to build leaders of character and consequence.
As the head of the Hampton Roads NROTC Consortium of Schools, I tell every midshipman, sailor and Marine: Know your purpose. Be present. Be professional. These aren’t just slogans, rather they are expectations that echo the university’s own trajectory and values. Let me explain.
Know Your Purpose
Our students are called to something greater than themselves. Whether their ambitions lie in commanding a ship or submarine, flying naval aircraft, conducting special operations, leading cyber or intelligence operations or managing logistics on a global scale, each midshipman is on a purposeful path of service. This aligns directly with William & Mary’s emphasis on “strong preparation for a purposeful career.” Our program helps students translate academic excellence into national service. We are grounded in ethics, sharpened by experience and driven by mission.
Be Present
Presence means more than just showing up. It means being mentally, emotionally and intellectually engaged in your work, your community and your leadership development. William & Mary exemplifies this through its hands-on learning environment. Just as William & Mary undergraduates conduct research at rates comparable to MIT, our midshipmen apply leadership in real time on campus, in the community and during summer training at sea and ashore. Together, we create leaders who are not only thinkers, but doers.
Be Professional
Professionalism is the thread that binds performance to values. At William & Mary, students are challenged to lead with integrity across every discipline — from the arts and sciences to Division I athletics. It’s no surprise this institution ranks No. 1 in federal graduation rates for DI athletes and is consistently recognized by employers nationwide. That same reputation for excellence supports our mission in the NROTC: to produce officers who are ready on day one, grounded in both competence and character.
Tacking Upwind … Together
Like the university that hosts us, the NROTC program isn’t following the current, it’s navigating against it with purpose. As President Rowe rightly points out, national rankings and traditional metrics are shifting, and artificial intelligence is transforming how students evaluate their choices. But if the question is “Where is the puck going?”, then William & Mary’s answer is clear: toward applied learning, affordable excellence and institutions that instill a sense of belonging and meaning.
That’s where NROTC fits. We’re not just preparing students for their first job. We are preparing them for a lifetime of service, leadership and impact. Moreover, we’re doing it on a campus that understands what it means to stand apart.
As we celebrate the 250th year of naval service and approach America’s 250th anniversary, there is no better place to build the next generation of Navy and Marine Corps officers than here at William & Mary: where purpose is cultivated, presence is expected and professionalism is lived.
Together, we are tacking against the wind — steadily, boldly and with eyes fixed on the horizon. Light two lanterns … ’cause we are coming by sea!
U.S. Navy Capt. Matt Frauenzimmer is commanding officer and professor of naval science for the Hampton Roads NROTC Consortium.