By Crystal Cohen
Imagine a 21-year-old powerhouse in perfect formation at 6 a.m. three days of the week as “rangers lead the way.” Such is the life of senior Melva Castro.
Most mornings this senior in her fourth year of military science can be found physical training in the Hofstra Arena with others active in ROTC. There are two physical training programs that ROTC offers. Either one hour of upper body and abs workout or Castro’s program, which entails running for one hour either on a University course or a long-distance course off-campus.
“I have been working with Melva since October of 2002 and she has come a long way,” Master Sergeant Sampleton, Castro’s senior army instructor, said. “I am very proud of her.”
Castro is an S5, which means she is a pubic relations officer in charge of coordinating all social events and commissioning students at the end of the year. Castro has coordinated multiple blood drives and a walk for breast cancer in the past three years. As an S5 she organized “dining in,” an annual event that takes place first semester every year.
“Dining in is where you meet your unit for the year and no family is allowed to attend,” Castro said.
Castro is also chairperson for ROTC’s upcoming military ball, which is a fancy banquet where members of ROTC meet each other’s families.
Maintaining a G.P.A. of 3.3, this accounting major also works for a law firm. Despite her chock-a-block schedule, Castro ceases to lose sight of her long term goals.
Recently, because of her diligence and accomplishments thus far, Castro has been selected by the United States Army to train cadets; for two months Castro will participate in LCP, a leadership training course in Fort Knox, Ky.
“My newest toys make me happiest,” Castro said. “My Mazda, my Yorkshire terrier Scruffy and my soon-to-be new husband.”
Execution of what can be referred to as Castro’s self-fulfilling prophecy will begin next month. Besides May showers, for Castro May will bring graduation, commission, marriage and on May 12, ROTC’s award ceremony where student recognition is given.
“There aren’t any awards I am aware of that I will be receiving,” Castro said. “Then again, they don’t really tell us.”
After three years of relationship, Castro is soon to become Mrs. Mardoqueo Perlera. Following the wedding Castro will head to Virginia for further military training. Upon completion she will serve four active years in the army.
A native of Moca, Puerto Rico Castro currently resides in Queens with her mother, father and younger sister, Ariana.
“My mother always pushed me to keep going,” Castro said. “She was an inspiration to me because she overcame a lot of hardships herself.”
The saying goes, the apple does not fall far from the tree, and this mother, daughter relationship is no exception.
“Nothing gives me greater pleasure in life than helping people to achieve their goals,” Castro said.
This girl has a way with her peers and she possesses the greatest gift of all: she knows how to make them laugh and keep them smiling.
“Melva has been a big asset to the program. She has always taken other cadets under her wing to bring up their strength and stamina for physical fitness tests,” Master Sergeant Sampleton said. “She just does not know how to tell a person no.”
Castro’s most recent training event was earlier this month at training events, military science students in their beginning years engage in squad tactical exercises where they are given a mission that they must execute in an allotted period of time.
“Brigade FDX will be Thursday through Sunday at Camp Natural Bridge at West Point,” Captain John Kaires, MS 4 instructor, said.
Castro neatly filed paperwork into a binder as she, along with the seven other MS 4’s were assigned each of his or her duties. Castro’s role at the brigade was to support MS 3’s; she did so by making sure they had all of their equipment packed and by being stationed at check points during land navigation in the event of an emergency. Land navigation is when you are asked to plot points on a map and find your way to each point by use of a compass.
The brigade was attended by 140 ROTC students from the University, Fordham, St. John’s, Seton Hall and Rutgers and was preparation for Warrior Forge in Seattle, Wa., where the first three years of ROTC are tied up for those approaching their fourth and final year.
“Warrior Forge lets us know that we are confident enough to lead people,” Castro said about the 32 day camp.
At the end of the month, Castro will partake in Battalion FTX, which is a field training exercise, her last training event before graduation.
“MS4s will be assigned an operations order and will then go into a simulator where we must transport four tanks from point A to point B,” Castro said. “They will most likely throw things at us to disrupt the operation and to see how we handle the situation. It is all preparation.”
Battalion FTX will last two days at Fort Indian Town Gap in Pennsylvania.
Like Nike, ROTC’s slogan is “Just do it,” and that is exactly what Castro intends to do.
“My long term goal is to serve my time in the military, open my own law firm and be blissfully married with a family in Maryland,” Castro said. “I want to be successful overall.”


Cadet Gonzalez is briefing Cadet Castro and other members of the MS 4 class in the Physical Fitness Center. (Paul Palazzolo/The Chronicle)