Walking across the stage as a graduate is a testimony to the hard work over the last few years. For James Cates, it is also evidence of his perseverance, compassion and grit, which have prepared him to step into the role of a U.S. Marine Corps commissioned officer.
Through these skills, Cates, a senior criminal justice major from Modoc, Indiana, has blazed a path for his future while at Utah Tech University.
Perserverance
In 2014, Cates originally attended Utah Tech with minimal direction for his future. He said at the time, he did not apply himself to college and ended up dropping out a year later. However, he wanted to get his life back on track, so in 2017 he joined the United States Marines.
“Right then, they handed me that paperwork, and I signed it right on the dotted line,” Cates said. “It changed the trajectory of my life.”
Cates served three years overseas in Okinawa, Japan, and has now been working in the reserves since he returned to Utah Tech in 2022. He said it’s been a different dynamic returning to college after being in the Marine Corps and navigating the college atmosphere.
“I really started at the bottom,” Cates said. “When I first came to the university on academic probation, I had to really muster up the courage.”
These challenges did not stop Cates, but he said they encouraged him to finish the degree. He was able to finish his degree in three years, which prompted him to start thinking about his future. It was in this process that he decided he wanted to become a Marine Corps commissioned officer upon graduation.
“I had to change everything in my lifestyle, like my diet, fitness… I was in shape, but not in the shape to which I needed to be,” Cates said.
Last summer, Cates completed the 10-week Officer Candidate School located in Quantico, Virginia. On April 11, he was officially pinned as an officer, and upon graduating, he will return to do follow-up training before he steps into the position.
Compassion
During his time serving overseas, Cates rescued a fellow marine from drowning. They were out snorkeling when one of his friends got caught in a riptide, but Cates swam out to his friend and helped him escape the current. They fought the current together for 40 minutes before finally reaching the shore.
Lewis Kunzler, a Utah Tech alum, said Cates is one of the kindest people you’ll ever meet. He became a friend of Cates over the last few years through the Utah Tech Veterans and Patriots club.
“He is what every person should strive to be,” Kunzler said.
Karl Watters, director of Veteran and Military Services, said most driven people don’t understand the importance of relationships, so they kind of blow past them to reach their goal or objective. He said it is the opposite for Cates.
“He’s very friendly,” Watters said. “He’s very outgoing. If you’re not his friend, it’s because he hasn’t had a chance to meet you yet.”
Cates is the president of the Veterans and Patriots club, and said he enjoys this position because it has allowed him to meet and connect with people in the veteran community.
“What’s nice about it is that you get to meet people across campus, and you get to hear their story and how they’ve shaped their college experience,” Cates said.
Grit
This semester, Cates won the GRIT award during the 2025 Trailblazer Awards April 10. This award honors students who have faced and overcome significant personal obstacles and found the strength and ability to succeed in their educational pursuits.
“He’s always had some great direction in his life, but to kind of see him solidify that through his education and his military service has been great to see him grow in that way over the last three or four years,” Watters said.
Cates said he is thankful for the people he has been surrounded by to help shape his college experience.
“It always gets better, and you just got to keep living,” Cates said. “If you want to take the easy road out, that’s fine, but at the same time, it’s not going to be as satisfying when you’re taking your [grad] pictures in front of the bison.”
