First-year student eager to jump-start career in the military
First-year student Alexander "Lex" Slone will be in the Navy ROTC at ASU as he pursues a degree in public policy. Courtesy photo
Alexander “Lex” Slone is excited to be a first-year student at Arizona State University this fall, but he has his sights set on the much longer term: He wants a career as a judge advocate general, or attorney, in the Navy.
Slone will be in the Navy ROTC at ASU, where he’s majoring in public policy at the Downtown Phoenix campus and is also part of Barrett, The Honors College. He originally hails from Sierra Vista, in southern Arizona.
“Everyone in my town is a University of Arizona fan, but I said, ‘I’m going to ASU,’” he said.
Slone prepared himself to be a Sun Devil by transferring from Tombstone High School to ASU Prep Digital.
“I wanted to earn college credits and I wanted more challenge in my education,” he said.
ASU Prep Digital students can take ASU undergraduate courses, and Slone earned 24 credits by the time he graduated high school in May.
“As soon as I got the hang of it, I started to get ahead in my classes and it allowed more flexibility in my schedule. At first, I didn’t know what to do with all that free time,” he said.
“But then I started volunteering at my church, becoming a core member of the youth group, helping with the younger kids and working on the sound.”
He also became a founding member of the Arizona State Board of Education's first student advisory panel. He was one of 10 students across the state who weighed in on topics such as graduation standards and curriculum.
“We focused on civics literacy in middle school and financial aid literacy for high school students, and we focused on proposing a bill to help students grow in those areas,” he said.
“It was fun working with the other students to plan out the bill. I definitely recommend that to other kids.”
Slone spent three weeks this summer at NROTC training camp in Chicago.
“It was a fun, challenging experience that was a taste of the military,” he said. “You can know what it’s like but it’s different from actually experiencing it.”
Slone said his parents have been very supportive of his goal for a career in the Navy — despite the fact that his father is an Army veteran.
“They have greatly supported me on this journey and kept pushing me, and without them, I don’t think I would have made it through the boot camp experience,” he said.
Slone answered some questions from ASU News ahead of the start of school.
Question: Why did you choose your major?
Answer: I chose public policy because it’s closest to law and will allow me to go onto the law path and be in the Navy JAG Corps.
I’ve always loved the law. The whole idea of the philosophy of the law interests me. When I was young, we watched “A Few Good Men” and I loved that movie. I want to be that guy.
Q: What are you most excited to experience at ASU?
A: I’m most excited for NROTC. During my four years, I’ll learn how to become an officer while taking my classes and getting experience, and I’m genuinely stoked for that.
I’m also looking forward to being in the dorm and experiencing new things.
Q: What talents and skills are you bringing to ASU?
A: I’d like to say my great optimism. I’ve heard that the first year is the hardest because you don’t have much time because you’re trying to figure out when you can have fun and when to study and when not to study.
I’m very organized, I’m very determined and I think I can inspire those around me to push themselves forward even if they have a 10-page essay due in a week.
Q: What do you hope to accomplish during your college years?
A: I have a list, but what I most want to accomplish is making connections with those in the field I want to go into and also meaningful connections with my peer group. I’d still like to maintain my volunteering, even with school work and NROTC, as well.
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