(NJCUGothicKnights.com) | As fall turns to winter and golf courses all across New Jersey transition to the offseason, one golfer's unlikely path from the United States Air Force to the collegiate links and team leadership is nearing the 18th green. Frank Rivera, who will turn 30 on November 25, and graduate this winter with a degree in Economics, is the most visible military veteran to have competed for the Gothic Knights in recent years. But responsibility is nothing new to the captain of the 2014-15 NJCU men's golf team, an eight-year military man, husband and father of two.

When Rivera joined the Air Force after graduating from Bayonne High School in 2002, he was not a golfer and NJCU did not sponsor the sport. He was about to embark on an eight-year journey that literally took him around the world and into some of the most dangerous war zones imaginable.

His golf career, like his military service, was triggered by a twist of fate. As a young adult he received a call from a recruiter that was meant for a friend but he seized the opportunity for a better life, and one that would give him a greater sense of purpose.

From his hometown of Bayonne to Travis Air Force Base in California, his military service would take him to more than a half dozen nations, including Iraq and Afghanistan as he worked his way up to the position of Air Force Crew Chief, the critical position which handles tactical aircraft maintenance to keep aircraft worth hundreds of millions of dollars in the air. In eight years he also was stationed in Kyrgyzstan, Diego Garcia, Spain, Italy and Germany and he once traveled around the world in two weeks.

"The military has taught me to learn," Rivera said with a laugh, "In the military you have to pay attention and you have to focus. There are a lot more repercussions than just getting an 'F' if you fail a test."

"When we served in Iraq and Afghanistan, you don't really think about the place much. All you really think about is your job. You think about getting the supplies there and getting your job done."

Frank Rivera's life experiences exceed those of a typical student-athlete.After completing his military enlistment, college and the sport of golf, were both new to Rivera. He picked up the sport long after high school and with no formal training, began playing it in his 20s. He enrolled at NJCU as a non-traditional student in 2010 to pursue a difficult major in Applied Physics with a concentration in electrical engineering before eventually discovering his love of Economics—officially changing his major in October 2013. He also added a minor in philosophy to his challenging course load as he prepared to pursue a post-military career.

The armed services prepared Rivera to handle any college situation and he excelled in the classroom, amassing a 3.37 grade point average through the Spring 2014 semester when, as a junior, he was named to the 2014 Capital Athletic Conference (CAC) Men's Golf All-Academic Team.

Golf, with little experience, proved to be more challenging. He joined the fledgling men's golf program at NJCU in its second year of existence in 2011-12 and failed to break 100 until his 11th tournament of the season, when he shot a 95.

The drive that Rivera had in the military carried over to the real world. He learned not to take things for granted and enjoyed what he had, taking the life lessons that he acquired in the military as he dedicated himself to being a standout student-athlete.

He worked hard in the offseason following his freshman season and thanks to his military training and demeanor, his skills as a golfer continued to progress. In the Fall 2012 semester, he carded a 92 and a 93 before chalking up a then career-low score of 89 (+18) on October 16, 2012.

While never winning a tournament or finishing among the individual medalists, by his junior year in 2013-14 Rivera became one of the standouts on the golf team, shooting in the 90s or better in four of five tournaments that fall, including a personal-best round of 87 (+15) in the Sage Fall Invitational on September 18, 2013.

"Playing with people that were ridiculously good didn't affect me,"Rivera noted. "I just had to work on my stuff and stick to it. I just had to keep practicing; you have to put in the work to get better."

Prior to the Fall 2014 semester, first-year head coach Brian Ferrante, himself a former two-year captain for the Gothic Knights (2011-13), appointed his one-time teammate as the team's captain.

"Since he first joined the program, Frank has been a leader and key developer in structuring the program into what it is today and what it will be tomorrow." Ferrante said. "His endless dedication to the improvement and growth of our program really resonated in a positive way with me. Frank cares deeply about where the program will be not just this year, but next year, and for years to come after he leaves. It is this same dedication that I desire to instill in each of my golfers, thus making him the perfect captain. Frank is a leader of this team on and off the course."

Rivera, who comes from a large family of seven children, balances his life as a scholar-athlete with marriage (wife Elizabeth) and parenthood to a nine-year-old son (Javiel Joaquin) and eight-year-old daughter (Ysabel).

With his academic and athletic service winding down, Rivera now will have a tough decision to make. With one semester of athletic eligibility remaining, he may elect to pursue a master's degree at NJCU and compete one last time for the Gothic Knights in the spring 2015 campaign, including the CAC championship.

"It's been incredible to be a part of this," said Rivera of his time as a collegiate golfer. It's been fun to watch us grow as a team and I know it's only going to get better."