Saint Leo University ROTC Cadets Commissioned as 2nd Lieutenants in U.S. Army, Air Force

During National Military Service Appreciation Month, Saint Leo University is celebrating its latest members of the military. Earlier this month, three Saint Leo Army ROTC cadets and an Air Force ROTC cadet were sworn in and commissioned as second lieutenants during ceremonies at the University of South Florida.

Commissioned as U.S. Army second lieutenants were Robert Hamilton, Francoise Moise, and Skylen Sierra of the University of South Florida-Saint Leo ROTC Suncoast Battalion. Kylie Elizabeth Taclik Powers, who was a cadet with the U.S. Air Force ROTC Detachment 158, was commissioned as a U.S. Air Force second lieutenant.

Guest speaker for the Army ROTC commissioning was Major General David Doyle, chief of staff, U.S. Central Command. “Today you start a journey,” he said to the then-cadets at their commissioning ceremony. “You are to be commended on embarking on a journey of military service. You are positioned right now to do something incredibly important: to lead our nation’s men and women. Feel the magnitude of the responsibility of what you’re about to undertake. This moment isn’t about you. Your college graduation is about you. This is about the soldiers you are going to lead.”

The newly commissioned U.S. Army second lieutenants are:

Robert Hamilton: An Army veteran, Hamilton was born in Tallahassee, FL, and grew up in St. Augustine, FL, where he graduated from Beacon of Hope Christian School.

He holds two Bachelor of Science degrees in sports science and in sports Management from Bluefield University in Bluefield, VA. He received his Master of Business Administration degree in sport business from Saint Leo on May 13.

Hamilton will serve as a quartermaster officer is the U.S. Army National Guard. He is returning to the military as an Army officer and will attend his Basic Officer Leader Course at Fort Lee, VA.

He said Saint Leo University has left a lasting impression on him; he “enjoyed making new friends and connections, and has worked to strengthen his resolve in standing up for what is right and to treat others with compassion.”

Francoise Moise: Born in Gonaive, Haiti, Moise grew up in the Dominican Republic, and she and her family relocated to the United States where she graduated from Lakewood High School in St. Petersburg, FL.

Moise received her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice: criminalistics from Saint Leo on May 13. She will serve as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army National Guard as a military intelligence officer. Moise will attend her Basic Officer Leader Course at Fort Huachuca, AZ.

Of her time at Saint Leo University, Moise said she enjoyed the friendships she made with her fellow students and professors, and she loved the indoor and outdoor learning environments. The life lesson she is taking away from Saint Leo is “that no matter how difficult things get, we should never give up.”

Skylen Sierra: A native of Cartago, Costa Rica, Sierra relocated to Land O’ Lakes, FL, in 2013 and graduated from Land O’ Lakes High School in 2017.

She graduated from Saint Leo on May 13 with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and now will serve as a military police officer for the U.S. Army Reserve. Sierra will attend her Basic Officer Leader Course at Fort Leonard Wood, MO.

She is married to Saint Leo alumnus Second Lieutenant Justin Sierra ’22, and they have one child. Sierra said she enjoyed the connections she made at Saint Leo with her fellow students, and has developed many new friendships.

The newly commissioned U.S. Air Force second lieutenant is:

Kylie Elizabeth Taclik Powers: As a cadet and student, Taclik Powers was selected as one of the top six cadets to serve on the Cadet Wing leadership team as operations group commander.

She personally tended to more than 150 cadets by coordinating all their training, drills, ceremonies, and events that are associated with Air Force ROTC. She also served as flight commander for 16 freshmen, helping integrate them into the Air Force while teaching Air Force institutional competencies and preparing them for their active duty careers. She prepared 26 sophomores mentally and physically to succeed in the summer field training encampment.  Taclik Powers also oversaw training as her detachment was ranked No. 2 in the Southeast Region and No. 13 in the nation.

She graduated magna cum laude on May 13 with a bachelor’s in criminal justice: criminalistics from Saint Leo University, where she also was a member of the criminal justice honor society, Alpha Phi Sigma.

Upon entry into active duty, Taclik Powers will train as a cyber warfare officer at Kessler Air Force Base in Biloxi, MS.