Emily Cannon: Navigating the Male Dominated Field

Emily Cannon listens as another ROTC member explains what went wrong during her field exercise at Veits woods in Mount Pleasant, Michigan on Thursday, October 1, 2026.

Emily Cannon practices what to do under fire during field exercises in Veits woods in Mount Pleasant, Michigan on Thursday, October 1, 2026.

Emily Cannon shoots the cannon, "Genny's Own," during Central Michigan University's Homecoming game after the third touchdown at Kelly/Shorts Stadium in Mount Pleasant, Michigan on Saturday, October 3, 2026.

Emily Cannon demonstrates how to walk in a formation using hand signals during her ROTC lab at Finch Field-house on the campus of Central Michigan University on Thursday, September 17, 2026.

Emily Cannon demonstrates how to check that a body is dead and what to do if there is a grenade under them during her ROTC lab at Finch Field-house on the campus of Central Michigan University on Thursday, September 17, 2026.

Emily Cannon walks holding the Central Michigan University flag in the Homecoming Parade in Mount Pleasant, Michigan on Saturday, October 3, 2026.

Emily Cannon sits in the back of a truck after Central Michigan University's Homecoming Parade in Mount Pleasant, Michigan on October 3, 2026.

Emily Cannon is a sophomore at Central Michigan University in the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program. She was born and raised in the small town of Kalkaska, Michigan before moving to Mount Pleasant, Michigan for college. Cannon is majoring in Criminology while obtaining a minor in Military Sciences.

Cannon is one of the few girls in the ROTC program at Central Michigan University and shares how it can be difficult at times. She explains that she feels like she is constantly trying to prove that she is good enough to be there. Cannon said, in her interview, that as a girl, “you might be proud of yourself for lifting 200 pounds and look over to see a man lifting double.” She feels as though she must work twice as hard simply to be on the same playing field as the men.

Despite knowing the ROTC would be difficult at times, Cannon was inspired to join because of her family’s long history in the United States Army. She shared that the military is something she has always felt comfortable around because it’s what she grew up with. Cannon is currently contracted into the military and after she graduates from Central Michigan University, she will be a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army.

Reflection

While shooting this assignment, I ran into a few obstacles with the weather and the times and locations or things that I could take photos at. I didn’t have any difficulties with her giving me access to her life at all, I just was busy during times that she gave me to go to things because of class or other commitments that I could not back out on. The weather was a friend to me for the majority of the time while shooting this assignment. However, on the big shoot day where she had her lab in the woods, it decided to rain a ton, so everything was muddy, and I was worried about getting my camera wet. I was able to borrow a camera bag from a friend so that I didn’t have to worry about the water while I was out there, but it was definitely a concern of mine and almost changed my mind about going. Which, I am glad that my mind was not changed because I think my best photos are from this shoot and I could not be happier. In the future, I think I would want to spend more time with my person because I felt like there wasn’t a lot of things to use for this assignment out of what I shot. So I would like to be able to get a wider variety and be able to show a lot more of a story.