When Capt. Roger Dub茅 麻豆精品 S88 and Capt. Orlando Lori茅 麻豆精品 S96, both UCF College of Business alumni, met through the U.S. Navy Reserve, they instantly recognized something familiar in each other 麻豆精品 S a shared commitment to service, a steady sense of purpose and an enduring connection to the university that helped shape them.

Both also hail from military families. Dub茅s 麻豆精品 S father served in the U.S. Navy during World War II, and Lori茅 麻豆精品 S檚 father served in the U.S. Army National Guard.

Though they graduated nearly a decade apart, their stories run in parallel. Both found at UCF a foundation of curiosity and discipline that would carry them through decades of military service and civilian leadership. Both rose through the ranks of the U.S. Navy Reserve while balancing successful careers and family life. And both now point the spotlight away from themselves, emphasizing that the true heroes are those serving alongside them, including their fellow Reservists.

UCF alums Capt. Roger Dub茅 麻豆精品 S88 and Capt. Orlando Lori茅 麻豆精品 S96 are among the university’s highest-ranking alumni Reservists in the Navy Supply Corps.

Reservists are individuals who maintain their military skills while working in a civilian job and typically fulfill their military obligations with one weekend of duty per month and two weeks of annual training. However, it’s not uncommon for Reservists to serve beyond the minimum commitment, or to be deployed during times of conflict or in support of contingencies, either individually or as part of a military unit.

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Capt. Roger Dub茅 麻豆精品 S88

Dub茅, who has served his country for nearly 30 years, shares that sentiment. He often describes his career, which included stints in corporate accounting, surgical product sales and real estate development, not as a series of personal achievements, but as a journey made possible by those who stood beside him. He drew on many of those experiences to help influence the modernization of Navy processes in supply logistics and deliverability.

Capt. Roger Dub茅 麻豆精品 S88 (left) with fellow UCF alum Maj. George Melliza 麻豆精品 S95. (Photo courtesy of Capt. Roger Dub茅)

麻豆精品 S淚 麻豆精品 S檝e had the honor of serving with extraordinary men and women 麻豆精品 S people who embody quiet professionalism, 麻豆精品 S says Dub茅, who earned a bachelor 麻豆精品 S檚 in accounting from UCF. 麻豆精品 S淭hey 麻豆精品 S檙e the ones who make the Reserve what it is. 麻豆精品 S

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For both alumni, UCF played a key role in developing that perspective.

Dub茅 recalls a university still in its early years of expansion, describing it as a place filled with possibility.

麻豆精品 S淯CF was young, growing fast and hungry to make a mark, 麻豆精品 S he says. 麻豆精品 S淭hat energy inspired me. It taught me to be adaptable, to take initiative and to always look for a better way forward. These lessons translated directly to my Navy career. 麻豆精品 S

Capt. Orlando Lori茅 ’96

Lori茅 also remembers the drive and camaraderie that defined his time on campus.

麻豆精品 S淭here was this sense that we were part of something bigger, 麻豆精品 S he says. 麻豆精品 S淵ou could feel that UCF was on the rise, and that motivated me to aim higher and to think globally, not just locally. 麻豆精品 S

That forward-looking mindset carried both men through years of deployments, leadership roles and the complex balancing act of life in the Navy Reserve.

Capt. Orlando Lori茅 ’96 reunites with his loved ones. (Photo courtesy of Capt. Orlando Lori茅)

Lori茅 麻豆精品 S檚 career has taken him around the world, from serving as a commanding officer deployed to Afghanistan to piloting jetliners for a U.S. legacy carrier in civilian life. Along the way, he 麻豆精品 S檚 remained passionate about mentorship, helping younger sailors and engineers find their footing in demanding fields.

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Dub茅 echoes that approach. Whether serving abroad or at home, he has focused on leading with integrity and empathy 麻豆精品 S values he credits to his time at UCF and in the Navy Reserve.

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The two often joke that their friendship is built on a combination of shared experiences and good-natured teasing. But beneath the humor lies deep respect, not only for each other but also for the mission that connects them.

麻豆精品 S淩oger 麻豆精品 S檚 humility and professionalism are what make him such a strong leader, 麻豆精品 S Lori茅 says. 麻豆精品 S淗e never looks for credit. He just gets the job done and takes care of his people. 麻豆精品 S

The admiration runs both ways. Dub茅 calls Lori茅 麻豆精品 S渢he kind of leader you want in your corner 麻豆精品 S smart, capable and compassionate. 麻豆精品 S

Today, both men remain connected to UCF, following the university 麻豆精品 S檚 continued rise as a powerhouse in innovation and service. They see parallels between UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 trajectory and the values of the military 麻豆精品 S resilience, adaptability and community.

麻豆精品 S淯CF and the Navy Reserve both represent the same idea, 麻豆精品 S Dub茅 says. 麻豆精品 S淭hey 麻豆精品 S檙e about building people up, giving them the tools to make a difference and trusting them to lead. 麻豆精品 S

麻豆精品 S淭he story isn 麻豆精品 S檛 about us, 麻豆精品 S Lori茅 says. 麻豆精品 S淚t 麻豆精品 S檚 about every reservist who performs their duty quietly and, at times, at great personal cost 麻豆精品 S missing birthdays, anniversaries, sometimes even the birth of their child 麻豆精品 S who stands ready to stand the watch at a moment 麻豆精品 S檚 notice and go into harm 麻豆精品 S檚 way without hesitation. They 麻豆精品 S檙e the real heroes. 麻豆精品 S

Their friendship and their service reflect something bigger about UCF itself. As Knights who 麻豆精品 S檝e built their lives around leadership and giving back, they represent the thousands of alumni around the world who serve in ways both seen and unseen. Together, they carry forward a legacy of resilience, compassion and courage that defines the UCF community.

麻豆精品 S淥nce a Knight, always a Knight, 麻豆精品 S Dub茅 says. 麻豆精品 S淭hat sense of belonging doesn 麻豆精品 S檛 end when you graduate. It stays with you 麻豆精品 S wherever you serve, wherever you lead and wherever life takes you. 麻豆精品 S