NATCHITOCHES – Northwestern State University’s Department of Military Science, LTC Joshua Drake and senior military faculty hosted the Spring 2024 awards program April 25 to honor Reserve Officers’ Training Corp cadets for academic, military and leadership achievements. ROTC’s mission is to recruit, educate, develop and inspire cadets with a focus on academics. Information on NSU’s Department of Military Science and the ROTC program is available at https://www.nsula.edu/rotc/.
The awards program provided a forum to recognize graduating seniors.
Cadet Peyton Bordelon of Alexandria will graduate and commission with a Bachelor of Arts in criminal justice and a minor in military leadership. Working to become a Medevac pilot and flight officer, he will train to fly the UH-60 Black Hawk as an Army aviator in the Louisiana Army National Guard.
Cadet Jatwon Burkes will graduate with a Bachelor of General Studies degree with double minors in military leadership and social science. He serves with 5th Battalion, 25th Field Artillery Regiment at Fort Johnson.
Cadet Loren Higginbotham of Jennings will graduate and commission with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a major concentration in marketing and a minor in military science. He has assessed Infantry and will serve on active duty, U.S. Army.
Cadet Breanna James of Stonewall will graduate and commission with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. She has assessed Adjutant General’s Corps and will continue service in the Louisiana Army National Guard. Her initial assignment will be with the 528th Engineer Battalion in Monroe.
Cadet Andrew Wesley of Shreveport will graduate and commission with a Bachelor of General Studies with a major concentration in computer and natural science and a minor in military leadership. He has assessed Chemical Corps with the U.S. Army and will serve on active duty. His initial assignment is with the 3-2 General Support Aviation Battalion, 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade “Talon,” 2nd Infantry Division, Camp Humphreys, South Korea.
During the awards program, Cadet Ariel Rhodes of Shreveport took the Oath of Enlistment, administered by LTC Joshua Drake. By choosing to contract, Rhodes demonstrates physical fitness, academic excellence, and the desire to serve in the U.S. Army.
Cadet awards are as follows.
Cadet Jan Amutan of Bossier City – President’s List (4.0 GPA), ROTC Honors, PMS Scholastic Excellence Award, PMS Commendation Medal, Knights of Columbus Award,
Cadet Peyton Bordelon – Dean’s List, ROTC Honors, PMS Scholastic Excellence Award, Silver Medal Athlete, Color Guard Certificate, Leadership Excellence Award
Cadet Brendan Campbell of Pearland, Texas – President’s List (4.0 GPA), ROTC Honors, PMS Scholastic Excellence Award, PMS Commendation Medal, Top MS III Cadet/Superior Cadet Award, Award of the Military Officers Association of America, Color Guard Certificate, Recruiting Certificate, Make Yourself at Home Award, Harris Family Scholarship
Cadet Kyra Cole of DeRidder – Veterans of Foreign Wars Award, ROTC Honors, Color Guard Certificate, Recruiting Certificate
Cadet Miguel Flores of Ball – Dean’s List, ROTC Honors, PMS Scholastic Excellence Award, Gold Medal Athlete, Recruiting Certificate
Cadet Megan Franchino of Santa Rita, Guam – PMS Athletic Award, Sons of the Union Veterans of the Civil War Award, ROTC Honors, PMS Scholastic Excellence, Cadet Honors, Color Guard Certificate, Recruiting Certificate, Leadership Excellence Award, RSO Public Relations Officer
Cadet Todd Gladish of Willis, Texas – Dean’s List ROTC Honors, PMS Scholastic Excellence Award, PMS Commendation Medal, PMS Achievement Medal, Silver Medal Athlete, Military Order of the Purple Heart Leadership Award, Color Guard Award, Recruiting Certificate
Cadet Loren Higginbotham – Top MS IV Cadet/Superior Cadet Award, American Legion Scholastic Excellence Award, ROTC Honors, Major General Erbon Wise Touchstone Award, Recruiting Certificate, Happy Camper Award
Cadet Christian Holmes of Shreveport – National Sojourners Award, Recruiting Certificate, Leadership Excellence Award
Cadet Camryn Huff of Leesville – Dean’s List, ROTC Honors, PMS Scholastic Excellence Award, PMS Commendation Medal, PMS Recruiting Award, PMS PT Attendance Award, Lion’s Club Award, Color Guard Certificate, Recruiting Certificate, Outstanding Service Award/RSO Vice President, Leadership Excellence Award, Helping Hand Award
Cadet Breanna James – Dean’s List, ROTC Honors, PMS Scholastic Excellence, AUSA Military History Award, Recruiting Certificate
Cadet Jaylon James of Stonewall – Dean’s List, Bronze Medal Athlete, American Legion Military Excellence Award, Recruiting Certificate
Cadet TaLayja Jefferson of Natchitoches – Cadet Scholar, Recruiting Certificate, Ground Assault Award
Cadet Angelina Jones of Lafayette – Dean’s List, ROTC Honors, PMS Scholastic Excellence Award, Color Guard Certificate, Recruiting Certificate
Cadet Ethan Jones of Montgomery – ROTC Honors, Color Guard Certificate, Recruiting Certificate
Cadet Grace Kerney of Barksdale AFB – President’s List (4.0 GPA), ROTC Honors, PMS Scholastic Excellence Award, PMS Commendation Medal, PMS PT Attendance Award, Military order of Foreign Wars Award, Color Guard Certificate, Recruiting Certificate, Outstanding Service Award/RSO Secretary, Leadership Excellence Award, Airborne Cadet Award
Cadet Demarkus Lawson of Fort Johnson – President’s List (4.0 GPA), ROTC Honors, PMS Scholastic Excellence Award, Military Order of the World Wars, Recruiting Certificate, Nellie Marshall D’Ray Educational Scholarship
Cadet Jemena Leopoldo-Hodge of Vivian – Society of the War of 1812 Award, ROTC Honors, Cadet Scholar, Recruiting Certificate
Cadet Caiden Matthews of Shreveport – Dean’s List, ROTC Honors, PMS Scholastic Excellence Award, PMS PT Attendance Award, AUSA-ROTC Award, Color Guard Certificate, Recruiting Certificate, Leadership Excellence Award, Heroes of the Battlefield Honor
Cadet Miriam McDaniel of Natchez – ROTC Honors, Recruiting Certificate
Cadet Jacob Mullican of DeRidder – Dean’s List, ROTC Honors, PMS Scholastic Excellence Award, PMS Commendation Medal, PMS PT Attendance Award, Silver Medal Athlete, Top MS I Cadet/Superior Cadet Award, AMVETS – ROTC Award, Color Guard Certificate, Recruiting Certificate, Leadership Excellence Award, Heroes of the Battlefield Honor, RSO Representative, PT Stud Award, Ruck Yea Award
Cadet Kaleb Prince of Zwolle – Color Guard Certificate, Recruiting Certificate, Lost and Found Award
Cadet Ariel Rhodes – Silver Medal Athlete, Cadet Honors, Military Order of the World Wars, Recruiting Certificate, Leadership Excellence Award
Cadet Jackson Sabbides of Pineville – Sons of the American Revolution Award, ROTC Honors, Color Guard Certificate
Cadet James Shelton of Lafayette – Cadet Honors
Cadet Molly Stelly of Lafayette – ROTC Honors, Military Order of the World Wars, Color Guard Certificate, Recruiting Certificate
Cadet Devonte Tanner of Leesville – Dean’s List, ROTC Honors, PMS Scholastic Excellence Award, USAA Spirit Award, Joker Award
Cadet Layla Theriot of Gheens – Dean’s List, ROTC Honors, PMS Scholastic Excellence Award, PMS Commendation Medal, PMS PT Attendance Award, Sergeant York Award, Top MS II Cadet/Superior Cadet Award, Daughters of the American Revolution Award, Color Guard Certificate, Outstanding Service Award/RSO President, Leadership Excellence Award, Heroes of the Battlefield Honor, Nike Award, Jeanice Leadership and Excellence Scholarship
Cadet Hannah Tingle of Natchitoches – ROTC Honors, PMS Scholastic Excellence
Cadet Lawson Turner of Haughton – Dean’s List, ROTC Honors, PMS Scholastic Excellence Award, Supreme Council of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry ROTC Award, Cadet Recruiting Award, Leadership Excellence Award
Cadet Andrew Wesley – PMS Academic Award, PMS Commendation Medal, Bronze Medal Athlete, Reserve Officers Association Award, Cadet Honors, Recruiting Certificate, Leadership Excellence Award, Andrea Rene Cespedes “Above the Best” Scholarship
Cadet Jeremy Wade of Shreveport – ROTC Honors, I’m Here Award
Cadet Colton Wood of Ragley — PMS Commendation Medal, PMS PT Attendance Award, Color Guard Certificate, Recruiting Certificate, Outstanding Service Award/RSO Treasurer, Leadership Excellence Award, Heroes of the Battlefield Honor, GPS Award, Malcolm Daisy Scholarship
Cadet leadership for the Fall 2024-Spring 2025 academic year will be as follows.
The incoming Battalion Commander will be Cadet LTC Caiden Matthews.
The Executive Officer will be Cadet MAJ Jan Amutan.
The Command Sergeant Major will be CDT CSM Jaylon James.
Cadet CPT Brendan Campbell will be the Administrative Officer.
Cadet CPT Christian Holmes will be the Recruiting Officer.
The Operations officer will be Cadet MAJ Damarkus Lawson, assisted by Cadet 1LT Todd Gladish.
Cadet CPT Jemena Leopoldo-Hodge will serve as the Communications Officer.
The Physical Training Officer will be Cadet CPT Lawson Turner.
The Color Sergeant will be Cadet 1LT Todd Gladish.
Cadet CPT Ethan Jones will be the Company Commander and the Battalion Logistics Officer.
Cadet Layla Theriot will serve as the Company First Sergeant.
Platoon Sergeant of First Platoon is CDT Sergeant First Class Jacob Mullican.
Squad Leader, First Squad, is CDT Staff Sergeant Grace Kerney
Squad Leader, Second Squad, is CDT Staff Sergeant Kyra Cole
Squad Leader, Third Squad, is CDT Staff Sergeant Molly Stelly
Platoon Sergeant of Second Platoon is CDT Sergeant First Class Camryn Huff.
Squad Leader, First Squad, is CDT Staff Sergeant Colton Wood
Squad Leader, Second Squad, is CDT Staff Sergeant Megan Franchino
Squad Leader, Third Squad, is CDT Staff Sergeant Ariel Rhodes
