As a child living overseas, Sophia Fischer often accompanied her military-connected family to the post exchange or commissary on a nearby U.S. Army base.
In an environment where daily life was distinctly not American, these family outings kept her in touch with all things U.S.A. including food, clothing and music.
“We went a few times a month to Taco Bell — that was a big one — Popeye’s sometimes, and they had Wendy’s and Panda Express,” said Fischer, a U of I Army ROTC cadet. “And we’d see what kind of American clothing brands they had.”
Fischer, a senior earning degrees in history and psychology with minors in German, military science and pre-health professions studies, will graduate Spring ’26 as the former cadet battalion commander of U of I’s Chrisman Battalion. It’s a rank she says helped shape her as a leader and role model.
Cadet battalion commanders act as cadet lieutenant colonels, the top tier of the battalion chain of command. Responsibilities include unit readiness, training, discipline and the well-being of cadets. She worked directly with and was mentored by ROTC staff to fulfill the mission of enabling cadets to succeed as leaders in the Army upon graduation.
“I learn so much every day,” she said. “Managing people, managing my time, and as cadets we’re always facing challenges in our training or just in our daily schedules and we work through them as a team.”
Despite her parents working for the U.S. military, Fischer didn’t consider joining the armed forces as a youngster. In Germany, Fischer and her family lived off base outside of Berlin and later, near Munich. She grew up on the fringes of military life and attended an international school.
“Although my parents were associated with the military, I didn’t really know much about what they did, or about Army life,” she said.
Fischer’s first language was German, but she honed her English after moving to Texas during middle school. The family shuffled back and forth between Germany and Texas. She returned to the Lone Star State where she graduated high school.
That’s when Fischer decided to follow in the footsteps of her veteran parents.
“I knew I wanted to continue to travel and decided that being employed by one of the three-letter agencies would be a good way to do that,” she said.
A friend of the family who lives in the Inland Northwest encouraged Fischer to look at U of I’s army ROTC program. She liked what she saw on the Moscow campus and took a leap. Enrolling in the program was her first real taste of military life.
During her four years at U of I, Fischer attended a summer Reserve Officer’s Training Course at Fort Knox, Kentucky.
“That was a major milestone in my ROTC experience and tested everything I had learned up to that point,” she said.
Long days, early mornings and tough training create strong bonds and lasting friendships.
Sophia Fischer
ROTC cadet and history and psychology major
The training was followed by three weeks with the 519th Military Intelligence Battalion at Fort Bragg, Ky.
“That experience really opened my eyes to what military intelligence (MI) looks like in an operational unit and confirmed my passion for MI,” she said. “Working alongside active-duty soldiers helped solidify my goal of joining military intelligence after commissioning.”
Fischer will be commissioned as a second lieutenant when she graduates in spring. Her first job out of college will be with a military intelligence unit where she will be required to manage people and projects, like what she learned at U of I’s Chrisman Battalion.
Lieutenant Colonel Jason Ackermann, the commander of Chrisman Battalion watched Fischer transition from a cadet to a solid leader during her time in ROTC.
“Over four years she grew from a motivated cadet into a confident, disciplined leader,” Ackermann said.
By taking on numerous leadership roles during her time at ROTC, Fischer sharpened the skills necessary to command, Ackermann said.
“Her development reflects resilience, professionalism, and a readiness to lead soldiers with integrity,” he said.
The activities and preparedness she learned helped foster relationships in and out of ROTC that she would not enjoy, had it not been for coming to Moscow, she said.
“My favorite part of ROTC has been the people and our shared experiences — long days, early mornings and tough training create strong bonds and lasting friendships,” she said.
Despite the challenge of mixing military exercises with academics, Fischer said training for a role as an Army officer at U of I and earning degrees in fields for which she had a long-standing interest has been rewarding.
“I am so glad I chose to be a Vandal,” she said. “What I learned at U of I through my professors and cadre is irreplaceable.”