Michael Kuklinski (’17)

Name: Michael Kuklinski

Year: Junior

Major: History

Minor: Spanish

Involvement: Army ROTC and Alpha Sigma Fraternity

Relationship Status: Single

He’s really into service. Not just any kind of service: joining the military after graduation kind of service! He’s a hardworking member of the ROTC program and a proud brother of Alpha Sigma fraternity. Swoon over this week’s Campus Cutie, Michael Kuklinski!

Her Campus (HC): What are you most looking forward to this school year?

Michael Kuklinski (MK): As a junior, it’s nice to get into more serious classes for your major. You’re past most of the divisional requirements, and now you’re into stuff that you really enjoy. I’m in a lot of classes that are really interesting, and with the ROTC program, there’s more responsibility. I get to take on more leadership. I feel like I’m a lot more engaged in things that I’m interested in, which is a big step up from the first two years. It’s definitely going to be an adjustment. It’s going to be a lot of work, but I’m really looking forward to it.

HC: I agree! You really find your niche your junior year.

MK: Yeah, exactly. You can hopefully hit your stride, and if you’re working hard, it’s going to be fun.

HC: Sounds like you are working hard! So what inspired you to join the ROTC program?

MK: I really enjoyed the idea of service. I’ve had grandparents and uncles who’ve done it as well. My dad is a police chief, and my mom is a school teacher. So I’ve had a lot of examples of service and giving back, and that’s just really stuck with me. I’ve really just had a lot of examples of service growing up – the idea of serving your country, being a part of something bigger, and taking pride in the uniform and the whole institution. I guess being a part of a big program is really exciting to me.

HC: So tell me more about Alpha Sig. What made you choose to be part of that when you’re already a member of America’s greatest fraternity (laughs)?

MK: Fraternity life in general is something attractive just because it’s so big here socially. And it’s just a great way to meet people, a great way to branch out. It’s almost too easy here to get stuck in circles of just doing homework with ROTC, constantly thinking about getting your workouts in, and getting your classwork done. But [being in a fraternity], you meet all kinds of different people, make new friends, and are always in a social environment. It’s not only exciting but a good relief. It was a good change of pace. I think it’s too easy for people to overwork themselves here, so being a part of something social, being a part of something that engages you in a different way, is something very positive.

HC: So like you said, the fraternity life at Wake Forest is very big – everyone hears about it. We don’t hear a lot about ROTC and what you guys are doing. What’s one thing you wish everyone at Wake Forest knew about ROTC?

MK: Everyone works so hard, and I mean there are people who are in pre-professional programs: pre-med, pre-law. There are members who are taking ridiculously hard majors, like physics, math business, and foreign language, such as Mandarin and Arabic. They’re doing all this hard stuff, but they’re also waking up at six in the morning. They’re running around the track, and they’re also staying late and running around the woods with a uniform and a fake gun, running through drills. They’re expected to meet ROTC responsibilities but also fall into a regular classroom and be a normal student. So it’s like you have a whole other thing – it’s like you have a part-time job. You have a separate life on campus that goes unnoticed.

HC: It’s like your secret identity!

MK: Exactly! It’s like your secret identity, because you’re out on the track way too early, you’re out on the cross country trails way too early. Most mornings it feels way too early but, it’s not too bad. I’m generally a morning person anyway.

HC: So is that one of your favorite Wake Forest memories so far? Waking up way too early (laughs)?

MK: Oh yeah.

HC: What is your most favorite Wake memory, if you had to pick one?

MK: Oh, that’s hard. So we do a couple different competitions with the Army ROTC program and that’s … a whole other step up. Like I was saying about people working hard – well, we do a Ranger Challenge in the fall. Last year we did a ruck march competition in Tennessee. Being able to travel and represent Wake Forest, and being with people who want to put in above-and-beyond the classroom level of work, above-and-beyond the ROTC level of work, is just always a good memory, especially when you’re doing it with people you spend so much time with. I think that’s something to take pride in. Those are just really good memories and stuff that’s going to stick with me for a while.

HC: So on to some more lighthearted questions … Do you believe in Big Foot?

MK: No, but I think it’s exciting that people believe in that kind of stuff (laughs).

HC: You wish you could believe?

MK: I do, I do. I think it’s important to believe in that kind of stuff, but for me, personally, I think if I believed in him, I’d be kind of scared … [especially] with how much time I end up spending out in the woods anyway…(laughs). I’d rather think that there’s not a Big Foot out there. It’s just going to make it easier on me.

HC: Now, would you rather have a dragon … or be a dragon?

MK: Definitely be a dragon. Having a dragon is so much work. You’ve got to take care of it. You’ve got to feed it. If it goes and destroys a village or something – that sucks. It’s your problem. But if you are the dragon, who cares?

HC: Sure, absolutely. But … if you were a Lucky Charm …

MK: (Laughs)

HC: …What would you be and why? If you need a refresher on the Lucky Charms, there’s hearts, stars, horseshoes, clovers and blue moons… hourglasses rainbows, and tasty red balloons.

MK: (Laughs) I like the red balloon. I’m not sure why.

HC: You just feel drawn to the red balloon?

MK: I do like the red balloon. It kind of slides in there at the end; it doesn’t have to be a star or a rainbow.

HC: But it pulls it together…

MK: Exactly. The red balloon just quietly sits there and gives you the part of the balanced breakfast that you need. It’s a nice color. It’s consistent. It does what you want it to do.

HC: I feel that. So Prez Ball is coming up. Do you have a date?

MK: No, I haven’t been working on that yet.

HC: That’s fine, me neither, but if you could take any celebrity to Prez Ball who would you pick? Anyone in the whole world. Living, dead…or undead. Whomever.

MK: I don’t watch a ton of movies. I don’t often think about celebrities so I don’t have a celebrity crush or anything. That’s just not something I follow too much. I’d definitely rather be with someone I had a substantial relationship with and someone that I was going to have a good night with. That’s much better than a celebrity – 10 times out of 10.

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