Katie (O’Neil) Lehmann ’15 enrolled at Illinois State University, joined the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC), and met her future spouse there—just like her parents did 30 years earlier.
“I was really surprised I ended up in Illinois,” said Lehmann, the daughter of military parents who moved regularly during her childhood. Though she could claim many, Lehmann calls Aurora her hometown. Its proximity to Normal, extended family in the area, and her parents’ history at Illinois State helped make her college decision.
She knew right away she wanted to join the ROTC at Illinois State. “I started in ROTC because it was familiar to me growing up in a military family, but once in the program, I learned the history, values, and insight into what it takes to commission as an officer in the Army,” Lehmann said. “I knew it was the career path for me.”
Lehmann discovered her campus home and family in the ROTC. It provided her with a “strong network of people” and exposed her to a variety of departments and activities. That included participation in the Ranger Challenge, a military-style competition against other university ROTC teams.
That’s where she met Christian Lehmann ’14.
The couple has been married for seven years. They reside in Savannah, Georgia, where Christian works as a police officer in Chatham County and Katie works as a human resources manager at Kimpton Brice Hotel.
Their similar backgrounds, interests, and bond formed in ROTC served as the foundation of their relationship. That beginning mirrors that of Katie’s parents, Tim ’84 and Jeannene (Cooper) O’Neil ’84.
Tim enlisted in the U.S. Army before enrolling at Illinois State and joining the ROTC. That’s where he met Jeannene. Today, they reside in Germany, where Jeannene actively serves the Department of Defense. Tim is retired.
“It’s cool my parents were the first class to go through ROTC at ISU. I saw their photo on the wall of the ROTC building every day,” Katie remembered. “It gave me a lot of pride and it brought my family a little bit closer together.”
