Inspiring grad: Adrian Cheung

Adrian Cheung has defined his college journey at UIC through service and initiative. When he graduates magna cum laude this May, he’ll do so as company commander of UIC’s Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program.

Adrian Cheung has defined his college journey at UIC through service and initiative. When he graduates magna cum laude this May, he’ll do so as company commander of UIC’s Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program.

Cheung, the first in his family to go to college, said his decision to join the university’s Army ROTC program changed his life. It gave him real-world leadership experience and a generous scholarship to support his education at UIC.

“One of the many things ROTC afforded me was the lack of financial stress,” Cheung said. Illinois ROTC cadets receive tuition waivers, scholarships that cover room and board and a monthly stipend. Together with financial aid and additional grants, the cost of Cheung’s undergraduate degree was nominal. 

Cheung discovered ROTC at a college fair in 2019, when he was a student at Jones College Prep in Chicago. Drawn by the promise of personal growth and financial stability, he joined UIC’s program. “It was the best decision I ever made,” he said.

Established in 1916, Army ROTC provides rigorous military and command training. More than half a million second lieutenants have been commissioned since its inception, making it the largest officer-producing organization in the U.S. military.

Cheung has additional responsibilities to fulfill, apart from being a student. He takes military science courses, attends weekly training labs and participates in field exercises. Cheung and his fellow cadets run and lift weights at 6:30 a.m. While challenging, the experience helped Cheung build structure, discipline and strong management skills, he said. He attributes his resiliency and success to his mentors and fellow cadets.

“What I learned in the classroom and on the field was incredibly helpful, but I wouldn’t be where I am today without the support of mentors and best friends I gained through UIC’s Army ROTC,” Cheung said.

Now in his senior year, Cheung is a company commander. He leads 62 cadets, mentors junior members and ensures his ROTC peers are prepared — physically, mentally and emotionally — for the challenges ahead. “I was once in their shoes, so I try to lead with empathy,” he said.

While working toward his bachelor’s degree in political science and criminology, law and justice, Cheung has also completed high-profile internships and served in the Illinois Army National Guard. He interned with the Democratic Party of Illinois, helping organize volunteers for the 2024 Democratic National Convention and the general election. He is currently an intern for State Representative Theresa Mah. He also served more than three years on UIC Police Department’s Student Patrol where he acted as a safety ambassador.

Cheung recently took part in a U.S. Department of Defense-sponsored study abroad program in Taiwan, where he explored U.S.-China-Taiwan relations. While there, he also studied Mandarin, earning credits toward a minor in Chinese.

“Learning to discuss politics in another language was a powerful experience,” he said.

Cheung was raised in Chicago’s Bridgeport neighborhood by his mother, Hermia, who immigrated from Hong Kong in the 1990s. Despite their busy lives, Adrian and his mom still make time to share dinner together every night.

Cheung also worked as a social studies tutor with Project: Vision, a Chinatown-based nonprofit that helped him with tutoring and mentorship while he was in school. “It taught me how nonprofits operate and showed me the kind of impact they can have,” he said.

After graduation, he will be commissioned as a military intelligence officer in the National Guard while pursuing a master’s degree in public policy at UIC. This summer, he will be an intern for U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth. Cheung’s long-term goal is to work in nonprofit advocacy and continue serving his community.

“If I can make a difference in even one person’s life,” he said, “then I’ve succeeded.”