Courtney Linnemeier, in the middle standing in back, is shown with a team of IU Army ROTC cadets who fire a cannon, known as “Big Jake,” when the IU football team scores.

BLOOMINGTON — In the not too distant future, it is conceivable Courtney Linnemeier will be saluted on a regular basis. The 2015 Wawasee High School graduate, a junior at Indiana University who is actively involved in the university’s Army ROTC program, is seeking to become a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army.

For one day Thursday, Sept. 21, Linnemeier was in the “spotlight” on the IU campus in Bloomington. She was chosen that day for the “One Day/One Hoosier” program where a student is featured and followed around the campus. The program could be seen on Twitter, Instagram and other social media outlets.

She noted her battalion commander was contacted by “One Day/One Hoosier” and “he nominated me as a candidate because of my high involvement in our battalion.”

Courtney, the daughter of Will and Becky Linnemeier, has been interested in the military for much of her life. She originally wanted to enlist in the military directly after high school, but her parents encouraged her to get a college degree first.

“What really drew me to it (military) was the structure and the team based atmosphere,” Courtney said. “I have been on a sports team my entire life so this was something that really drew me to the military.”

While a high school senior, Linnemeier attended an IU football game in Bloomington and noticed the IU Army ROTC cadets assembling a cannon known as “Big Jake” before the game. IU’s well known ROTC program and the variety of majors to choose from made her decision to attend school there much easier.

She jumped right in and has become heavily involved in ROTC at IU. She is the leader of the cannon crew and manages the team of ROTC cadets present at each home football game to show the cannon off to visitors and fire it after IU scores. She also leads clubs, tutors other cadets and started the Bison Stampede, a club allowing cadets to get together weekly for workouts. She also represents IU ROTC in Ranger Challenge competitions, a varsity sport matching schools against each other in a series of mental and physical military tasks.

“Being part of IU Army ROTC has taught me a lot,” Linnemeier said. “On top of the basic army knowledge that we learn I have also learned how to be a more confident leader. I have learned how to make decisions in stressful situations and I have learned how to change courses of actions along the way. I have learned how to motivate people and work with people of different backgrounds.”

After her senior year at IU, she hopes to be commissioned as an active duty Army officer and work in something related to combat arms. “My top two choices are armor and infantry,” she said.

If her high school schedule was grueling, life as a college student is even more so. In addition to ROTC and being a full-time student majoring in informatics, she has a part-time job. “I have to do a lot of time management, which my cadre helps me do and I also have to be sure I am using my time wisely,” she noted.

Linnemeier is fortunate to have a support system of people in place who are willing to help “when things overlap and I can’t be in two places at once.”

While at Wawasee, she ran in cross country and track and played basketball. She was on the Warrior Leadership Committee, student council, National Honor Society and was an assistant coach for a Special Olympics basketball team.