Arlington Heights resident graduates Bradley’s ROTC program

Arlington Heights resident William Lopez became the first Bradley University Reserve Officers Training Corps graduate in nearly 20 years during the university’s spring commencement ceremony May 14.

Lopez, 21, was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Medical Service Corps and received a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry.

He will be assigned to the 325th Combat Support Hospital out of St. Peters, Mo., in October and later will train to be a patient administration officer.

Ultimately, the chemistry major hopes to go to medical school and become an Army doctor.

A graduate of Elk Grove High School, Lopez is the first in his family to graduate from college.

He is the only child of Renee Lopez of Arlington Heights, who assisted in pinning epaulets that indicate his rank on his military uniform during the ceremony.

“I’m the first one in my family to join the military,” Lopez said. “So my family wasn’t really excited, but they really support me now.”

During the commencement, Lopez received an emotional standing ovation from his classmates and the estimated 8,000 family, friends, guests and fellow graduates at the Peoria Civic Center.

He enlisted in the Army Reserves military police during his freshman year and joined the university ROTC program after it was reactivated at Bradley in 2008.

As a senior he has served as the company commander, leading the 10 students currently enrolled in their training and class exercises.

 He will be the gold bar recruiter for Bradley ROTC this summer and will report for training in the fall in San Antonio.