This past Friday, Marist College was given the opportunity to march in the 58th Presidential Inauguration in Washington D.C. It was truly a once in a lifetime opportunity; ludicrous to pass up. Thousands of schools have applied to take part in the parade this past April, well before the 2016 Election was completed, and the Marist Band and Spirit Team was given the nod to represent the small school on the Hudson River.

I was told prior to winter break last semester that there was a possibility that Marist would be able to march in the parade. It was a pleasant thought, but I didn’t think much of it. I’m part of the ROTC program at Marist and we were told that we would be in the front of the formation playing the role of color guard if we did somehow manage to get a nomination to march.

Sometime following Christmas, I, along with other members of the ROTC program, were told through email that the vision of marching in front of the president of the United States would become a reality. I was ecstatic and wanted to tell everyone I knew. Setting politics aside, marching before the president of the United States is an accolade worth noting. You were part of history.

Our ROTC program was told prior to rehearsals that we are part of the Marist Band and Spirit Team. In other words, we were part of a single, cohesive unit, which meant that each individual on the team was no more important than the next. I enjoyed hearing that from our coordinator because if you really think about it, we all had to play a specific role in order to demonstrate a strong performance. No person was treated differently and this helped in correcting the numerous hiccups we made during our rehearsals.

Friday, January 20th, 2017 became the day on which I could not be any prouder to be an American. I struggled to fall asleep the night prior because I couldn’t stop thinking of marching in the nation’s capital with the entire world watching. It wasn’t anxiety filled with nervousness, but it was instead anxiety filled with anticipation. This wasn’t my first time marching in a major color guard event as the color guard team and myself had marched in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in New York last March and in Marist President Yellen’s Inauguration last November. I knew exactly what I had to do and had my fellow cadets to help me along the way.

Marist Army ROTC Color Guard Team

After enduring numerous security checkpoints and hours of waiting in a holding area, it was time for Marist College to reveal itself to the eyes of the public. After a two hour delay, the Marist Band and Spirit Team was ready to march down Pennsylvania Avenue.

Immediately upon turning onto the infamous road, cameras were flashing everywhere and our every move was being documented. We were composed and were focused on maintaining our formation. The streets were filled with American flags and servicemen and women flooded the streets. Brass instruments filled the air with their strong tone and woodwinds eloquently played in the background. Songs such as “Hail to the Chief” and “America, the Beautiful” were played as we proceeded with our march. Announcers were calling the units that were marching before us and the crowds of people were cheering them along the way.

Once Marist was called, the crowd’s attention shifted towards us and it was nothing but positivity and encouragement as we marched by.

“Let’s go Marist!” was one of the many things exclaimed by the audience. There were even people in the crowd who went to Marist. Police officers cheered for us while securing the avenue. The servicemen and women saluted us as we marched by, carrying the American flag. We were not looked at as a bunch of kids marching down a road. We were looked at as an institution who supports the American way of life and was willing to take part of a tradition that has lasted for years.

Pennsylvania Avenue

I had thought we passed President Trump as we went down Pennsylvania Avenue, as there was a large stage to the right of me. I was on the left side of the formation so I couldn’t really glance over and pick him out among the large crowds of people. We were told to march down another road that would take us to the end of the parade. As we made our final turn, there was a blinding light that was beaming against us. I had no idea why it was there, presuming that it was for the crowd to see the units marching by. Suddenly, I understood why that light was there.

To the left of me, there was a large structure with a shatterproof window. As I marched towards it, I saw a man with a hairstyle similar to the man who was once a multi-billionaire businessman. I had to blink twice to make sure I was seeing correctly. Our band and spirit team was feet away from marching by President Trump along with the rest of his staff.

I suddenly went from being calm and composed to excited and eager. The most powerful man in the world was only feet away and he was going to see Marist College from Poughkeepsie, NY.

Marist Band and Spirit Team marching by President Trump on Jan. 20, 2017.

We marched by the president and I wanted to pay respect towards him in the slightest way while maintaining my bearing. I slightly nodded my head, hoping he’d notice. Not only did he notice, but he also nodded back. That very moment solidified this experience, making it a lifetime memory. I finished marching down the strip filled with emotion while "Hail to the Chief" filled the background.

(Video of Marist Band and Spirit Team marching past President Trump)

I am eternally grateful that Marist was able to represent itself on the global scale. I could not be more proud of how we performed as a unit and the great memories that we had made throughout the trip. Although we come from different backgrounds and beliefs, we came together during the middle of winter break and worked together as a team in order to strongly represent Marist. The success of the parade could not have been possible without the efforts of Art, Keith, and JV, three of the most dedicated people I have seen towards this operation.

Marist College marched in the 58th Presidential Inauguration on January 20th, 2017.

Let that sink in.