Defining Character and Leadership Through Regis’ AFROTC Program

It’s a cool, dark morning on Oct. 21, 2026; the first inclinations of the fall chill hang in the air. Before the sun brushes the peaks of the Rocky Mountains, Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC) students are training their bodies and minds on the turf fields at Regis University’s Northwest Denver campus. Joining them is Jake Bucher – Regis’ Provost and U.S. Army veteran – encouraging the training of their endurance and strength.

As a veteran, Bucher not only understands the AFROTC students’ development as future professional military officers but also recognizes and connects with them as one of the many diverse facets that make up the Regis community.

“I love how Regis supports our active, veteran and military-affiliated students,” Bucher said. “Joining some of the AFROTC students at their recent physical training workout was my way of really making sure they knew they were seen and appreciated by the Regis community – and showing that appreciation earned me a few days of soreness!”

Regis University offers Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps in partnership with the AFROTC headquarters at the University of Colorado Boulder. The AFROTC program provides undergraduates and selected graduate students with the ability to combine academic study with a professional military officer education program. Students earn a degree while also serving the country, receiving both premier academic and character education in the Rocky Mountain West.

For Olivia Saenz, a junior majoring in economic and public policy, her journey as a cadet with Regis’ AFROTC has taken a different path than most. After graduating from Front Range Community College with her associate’s degree, Saenz enrolled in the AFROTC program at Regis. Coming from a very full extracurricular background in high school, Saenz joined the AFROTC to build her own leadership, professional and physical skills throughout her college education.

“The AFROTC offers an opportunity to learn leadership at a level that a lot of people don't get the opportunity to do,” said Saenz. “We learn how to give feedback, how to receive feedback, how to hold ourselves in a professional manner, but also still acknowledging the fact that we are people at the end of the day.”

As an economics and public policy major, Saenz has a unique perspective on the “two different worlds” she experiences. She gets a Jesuit Catholic education blended with the leadership development of the AFROTC, crafting a well-rounded character education.

But to get there, she had to work hard. As Saenz explained, “Regis students aim big, and I'm aiming big, but in a different way.”

Saenz described the first two years of the program as a “competition,” where each student vies for a spot among the select few who make it into the program as upperclassmen. Joining the AFROTC as a sophomore, Saenz described how she “only had one semester to prove myself to everybody there,” unlike the usual AFROTC student who starts in their freshman year. Taking this challenge in stride, she pushed past her own self-doubt to prove her place. After she was selected to attend field training – a three-week boot camp experience – Saenz described how she feels pride in the path she has taken.

“There were just so many what-ifs,” said Saenz. “Once I got selected for field training, I felt like I'd accomplished something that, in my mind, I probably would have never attempted if you asked me what I wanted to do a couple of years ago; I've got a lot of pride for it.”

Saenz finds the Magis through her AFROTC training. Pursuing “the more,” she is constantly improving herself and her community. For Saenz, the community of the AFROTC, made up of over 300 students from local colleges and universities, is “like its own family.”

This Veterans Day, Nov. 11, the University recognizes and celebrates those who have already dedicated their lives to service. Regis has a robust Office of Military and Veteran Services, providing support to cadet, active-duty and veteran students.

“There are actually a lot more veterans or active-duty members on Regis campus than we think,” said Saenz. “I think it's really cool that there is a community for them at Regis.”

From the Buy a Vet Lunch Promotion and Armed Forces Physical Experience to the History of Diversity in the Armed Forces display and Quilts of Valor, Regis is proud to support and serve those who serve.

Learn more about Military and Veteran’s Services at Regis.