This story is featured in The Slate, Shippensburg University's student-run campus newspaper.

Next to being tall, the 6-foot-7 sophomore Mason Koeth stands out for two other things from his peers: Koeth is a member of the Shippensburg University Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program as well as a record-breaking member of the men´s swim team. Koeth is one of only three student-athletes at SU who are also part of the ROTC program.

In the pool, Koeth had a very successful freshman campaign. He broke the school record in the 200-yard freestyle three times in the span of 24 hours at the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Championships and placed fifth in the event at the championship on Feb. 15. Besides that, he is also a PSAC individual place-winner in the 100-yard butterfly, a three-time PSAC place-winner with relays and has four other Top 10 times in school history besides his school record.
Koeth said he has been swimming for most of his life. For a while he did taekwondo, but as he got older, he also picked up swimming and after doing both simultaneously, he decided to just keep swimming.

For his future swimming career at SU, Koeth just wants to "swim fast and make my coach happy," he said.

Shippensburg´s swim head coach, Tim Verge, thinks Koeth is capable of big things and sees the potential that Koeth leaves as one of the best swimmers in school history.

"I think he can be an All-American," Verge said. "I think he can win conference titles; I think he can break more records that we have."

Verge sees Koeth being a part of the ROTC program as a part of Koeth´s success in the pool. According to Verge, Koeth likes being in ROTC, so Verge thinks it helps him in the water. "That [ROTC] keeps him happy in the water and gives him another outlet," Verge said.

Going to school on an American base in Germany got Koeth interested in the military and made him join the ROTC program at Shippensburg University. 

Koeth lived in Germany for about seven years before coming to college in Shippensburg, since his dad, Joel Koeth, had a job with the Department of Defense as a civilian. Koeth´s mom, Kim Youngmin, is from South Korea, where his parents met and where he was born too. His parents then moved back to the U.S. with Koeth when he was a kid, but Koeth still learned Korean as a heritage speaker.

Next to him speaking fluent English and being a heritage speaker in Korean, Koeth also knows some German from his time living there and he also know a little Mandarin, which he has learned through the ROTC program Project Global Officer (GO).

His military-science two (MS-2) instructor, MAJ Russel Stuart said Koeth is an extremely intelligent person, who is well-spoken and has a strong work ethic. Stuart also described Koeth as very dedicated.

"Mason is very dedicated and a well-rounded individual," Stuart said. "I think that he has a bright future, whether in service, whether he stays this path or not. Whatever organization gets him will be lucky to have him."

Both Stuart and Verge agree that Koeth does well with managing his time and getting everything done for both the ROTC program and for his swimming career, next to being a good student.

Stuart also said that he is "really lucky to be able to teach him [Koeth] at this point in his career."

Verge echoed that sentiment by saying, "We are lucky to have him, I think Shippensburg is lucky to have him."