By Roseline Twagiramariya
Staff writer
Cadet Manuel Alejandro Tirago-Suarez is a father, a husband, a son and a full-time college student.
Back home in Puerto Rico, Tirago keeps a full schedule. A student at the University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez, he attends classes in the morning and works in the evenings, is a member of the ROTC program and also takes care of his wife and two children.
Everyone at home calls him crazy for being involved in so many things at once. Tirago disagrees, however, and says that it is all about self-motivation.
“If you go into something thinking that it is going to be a lot of trouble at first, then you end up not doing it.” he said. “But instead if you put yourself up to it and push yourself, then you can make it happen.”
At 32 years old and a native of Puerto Rico, he is not your average Cadet, and it is his unique background that already has others looking up to him as a leader.
Second Lt. Nicole Perrin, Tirago’s squad tactical officer, has noticed his leadership qualities.
“He is stepping up,” she said. “Sometimes, you look for the older people to take charge and lead from the front.”
Tirago says his biggest surprise is how much he enjoys the training, despite its difficulties. The preparation he received back at his university has proven useful.
“It has been greater than I expected because you can find yourself in situations that you never expected,” Tirago said. “You can improve your intelligence, your toughness and your experience overall.”
| Video by Douglas Worthington |
Most people who meet Tirago, including his fellow Cadets and STOs, quickly learn that hard work is nothing new to him. Having completed the team development course and enjoyed it Monday, Tirago said he definitely has a lot more to look forward to.
But while he is enjoying himself at LTC, Tirago can’t help but miss his wife and kids back home. His oldest son, Alejandro, is 11 years old and has cerebral palsy and the youngest, a girl named Arianna, is 6 years old. Luckily, the STOs have been understanding and have given him opportunities to call home.
“First thing to a Soldier is family first,” Tirago said. “First day I got here, they asked me if I wanted to call home and let them know that I am OK.”