The UNC Charlotte Army ROTC Program held a virtual commissioning ceremony for its graduating 49er Battalion cadets, held virtually on Friday, May 15, due to social distancing related to COVID-19.
A video of the ceremony is available on the Army ROTC Facebook page. During the ceremony, 27 cadets were commissioned, representing UNC Charlotte, Gardner-Webb University, Davidson College, Pfeiffer University, Catawba College and Lenoir Rhyne University. Some of those commissioned will report as early as May 24 to begin their U.S. Army careers.
“(The ceremony is) done a little bit differently, but it’s so important, especially during this disruptive time, to take a moment, take a breath, to say this moment matters,” said MAJ Blake Smith, chair of the Military Science Department at UNC Charlotte.
At one point, Smith spoke directly to over 100 family members and university faculty, staff and alumni who joined the ceremony via Facebook Live. “I miss the chance to shake your hand, tell you that you are 100 percent right to have that much pride in your heart right now, to feel emotion welling up as you look at your son or daughter or nephew or cousin or student,” he said.
The UNC Charlotte Army ROTC has commissioned 236 2nd Lieutenants into the Army since 2010. The Army ROTC Program began at UNC Charlotte in 1981, when it was hosted at Davidson College. It moved to UNC Charlotte as the host institution in 1996.
The cadets commissioned as Second Lieutenants are:
- Remy Adrian, UNC Charlotte, Earth and Environmental Sciences major
- Jesus Anampa-Vitor, UNC Charlotte, Criminal Justice major
- Alexandra Bedell, Davidson College, Chemistry and Africana Studies major
- Mitchell Blaszyk, UNC Charlotte, Political Science major
- Gabriel Evans, UNC Charlotte, Criminal Justice major
- Samuel Faries, UNC Charlotte, Engineering major
- Startraya Galloway, Pfeiffer University, Criminal Justice major
- Jared Garrett, Winthrop University
- Samuel George, UNC Charlotte, Finance major
- Jeremiah Hansen, Gardner-Webb University
- Sardaris Haynes, UNC Charlotte, Computer Science major
- Hector Marquez-Penaloza, UNC Charlotte, Engineering major
- Shikerrah Maultsby, UNC Charlotte, Sociology major
- Stockton McGuire, Davidson College
- Maurice Owens, Pfeiffer University, History major
- Ju’anisha Reels, UNC Charlotte, Exercise Science major
- Jared Richard, Catawba College, Exercise Science major
- Connor Richey, Davidson College
- Larri Robinson, Gardner-Webb University, Nursing major
- Scott Stegall, Davidson College, Finance major
- Eleanor Tan, Davidson College, East Asian Studies major
- Jacob Thomas, UNC Charlotte, Nursing major
- Kyle Ward, UNC Charlotte, Engineering major
- Nathanial Wellborn, Davidson College, Economics major
- William Wilson, UNC Charlotte, Criminal Justice major
