Diversity in the Corps of Cadets

Ashley Duffins graduated from the North Georgia College and State Univeristy Spring 2012, with a major in general education. She was also commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army in the Adjutant General Branch and is assigned to Korea. Duffins studied in South Korea while at the university. She was the first to receive the Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship – a national scholarship – and the first to study abroad as an exchange student for a semester at Sogang University in South Korea. “My interest in Korean started because of my parents,” Duffins said. “My dad was in the United States Air Force and spent a year there. My mom was actually there with my father, and I used to love hearing all the stories and memories they would reminisce about.”

Bernie Richardson believes that he can change lives. That’s because his life was changed by the opportunities and encouragement he experienced at North Georgia College & State University. A 2008 graduate, Bernie teaches reading to fifth- and sixth-graders in the Louisiana Recovery School District through the Teach for America program. As a music education major with a minor in political science, Bernie was a member of the Corps of Cadets and the Golden Eagle Band. He was involved with the Student Government Association for four years, the last two as its president. “My leadership opportunities were due to the belief that the faculty had in me. They encouraged me to be my best; to give back to my community and the world,” Bernie says. “Today, I try to mentor my students in the same manner that I was taught at North Georgia. I incorporate values like self-confidence, leading with conscience and seeking solutions that contribute to making the world a better place. This is especially meaningful to these students in New Orleans. I am confident that when they have the opportunity, they will be fully ready to fulfill their dreams – and their community’s dreams.”