By Sid Hall, Military Affairs Coordinator / ROTC Program Manager
NATCHITOCHES – Northwestern State University ROTC Cadet Alex J. Wade was commissioned Friday, Aug. 12 as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army. Wade, a California native who grew up in Natchitoches, credited her family, friends and JROTC instructors at Natchitoches Central High School for “shaping me into the person standing before you.” In addition to thanking her academic advisors, she thanked the faculty and staff of the Department of Health and Human Performance and the Department of Military Science for their guidance and support as she completed degree and military requirements for graduation and commissioning.
2LT Wade joined NSU’s Demon Battalion in 2018 and contracted with the Army in her sophomore year. She was ranked in the top 5% of her platoon during Cadet Summer Training. She represented ROTC in intramural football, softball, and basketball leagues, volunteered with Special Olympics, the Governor’s Games, and local elementary and middle school field days, participated in cleaning the Natchitoches Veteran’s and Memorial Parks, and numerous other community activities and events. She has been awarded the American Legion, Knights of Columbus, and ROTC recruiting awards. She was inducted into the National Society of Leadership and Success and is a recipient of the Malcom-Daisy and the Harris Scholarships.
“The character and leadership she brought to our organization was nothing short of stellar. She was selected above her peers to serve as our Battalion Executive Officer this last year where she continued to improve our program while preparing herself to be a future leader in the United States Army,” said LTC Joshua Drake, Professor of Military Science.
2LT Wade graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Health and Exercise Science and a minor in Military Leadership. She is slated for a second internship with NSU’s Strength and Conditioning Program and plans to obtain her Strength and Conditioning Specialist Certification this fall. She will then pursue a Master of Science in Health and Human Performance, Sport Administration.
2LT Wade has assessed Quartermaster Corps and will attend the Basic Officer Leadership Course in April 2023. She will serve in the Louisiana Army National Guard as a Platoon Leader assigned to A Company, 199th Brigade Support Battalion, 256th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Colfax, LA.
Information on NSU’s ROTC program is located at https://rotc.nsula.edu/.
