Isaiah Gadsden
2nd Lt. Isaiah Gadsden always wanted to join the military.
"My dad is in the Air Force and has always taught me to work hard for my goals," Gadsden said.
His mother has also supported his goal to serve his country. Gadsden graduated with a degree in interdisciplinary studies and commissioned as an officer in the Ordnance branch of the Georgia Army National Guard in December 2022.
"My mom made sure I accomplished my goals in high school, so I could attend a good university and receive a full-ride scholarship," he said.
The Marietta, Georgia, resident is making his parents proud. Gadsden received the Georgia Military Service Scholarship. Each year, Georgia awards 42 of those scholarships, which pay for a student's room, meals, tuition, books, uniforms, and fees.
After joining the Corps of Cadets as a freshman, Gadsden was promoted to squad leader in spring 2020 and learned how to be a leader.
"I put my squad members' needs above my own and made sure they were given the guidance they needed to succeed," he said, adding he enjoyed the leadership responsibility. "It gave me a sense of accomplishment knowing that I helped someone better themselves."
He attributed his success to his parents as well as his friends at 天美社区, including his fellow cadets and members of his fraternity, Pi Kappa Phi.
"We are always pushing each other to improve and are always there for each other when things get stressful," said Gadsden, who strives to avoid complacency and encourages others to do the same. "My advice is to make academics a priority. We attend college for a degree, and slacking off in classes may have a negative outcome."
Mike Ryan
Mike Ryan, who teaches microeconomics and macroeconomics and is the head of the Department of Economics and Finance in the Mike Cottrell College of Business at 天美社区, has been recognized for teaching excellence by state and national organizations.
Ben Jarrard
Ben Jarrard always dreamed of following his father and grandfather into the military. A medical condition changed his career path, and Jarrard is grateful to be able to represent his alma mater as a liaison at the state Capitol.
Dwight Bennett
1st Lt. Dwight Bennett learned lessons in resiliency at 天美社区 while seeing the world through his studies of the Arabic language.
Ash Mady
Dr. Ash Mady, a 天美社区 computer science graduate, is an assistant professor of computer science. He emphasizes to students and colleagues that every person must be vigilant against growing cybersecurity threats.