Awards ceremony recognizes 60-plus UNG cadets

More than 60 cadets at the University of North Georgia (UNG) were recognized for academic, leadership and military achievement at a March 28 awards ceremony.

"We congratulate all the winners, and we appreciate the organizations, families and corporations who provided the awards for our cadets," retired Col. Tom Palmer, UNG 's commandant of cadets, said. "Many of the awards were in the form of academic scholarships that will assist in offsetting the cost of a college degree. In all, more than $58,000 worth of scholarships were awarded to deserving members of the Boar's Head Brigade."  

Among the top awards, Joshua Hill was recognized by the Association of Military Colleges and Schools of the United States for academic and military excellence. Only six of the awards are presented nationally each year, given to a cadet at each of the nation's six senior military colleges, which include UNG, Norwich University, Texas A&M University, the Citadel, Virginia Military Institute, and Virginia Tech.

Other awards presented included recognition for top cadets in each level; each recipient was in the top 10 percent of their class in both military and academics: Jericho Searcy, Superior Cadet MS I; Tyler Farney, Superior Cadet MS II; Addyson Albershardt, Superior Cadet MS III; and Krystal Jemmott, Superior Cadet MS IV.

Other top awards included: Terry Ellis, American Legion Military Excellence-MS III; Hayden Pilgrim, American Legion Scholastic Excellence-MS III; Jesse Clements, American Legion Military Excellence-MS IV; Bryton Wenzel, American Legion Scholastic Excellence-MS IV; and Jack Ward, Military Order of the Purple Heart Leadership Award.

Recipients of the awards were selected by members of the staffs of UNG's commandant and professor of military science, based upon criteria established by the donors and the national organizations sponsoring the awards.

"Previously, all cadet awards were presented during the annual Corps of Cadets Military Awards Review held during Alumni Weekend," said retired Maj. Richard Neikirk, assistant commandant of cadets. “Due to the increase in the number of scholarships and other awards earned by UNG cadets, more than 90 this year, a second awards ceremony had to be added. The remaining awards and scholarships will be presented during the review on April 23."

Participation in UNG's Corps of Cadets, also known as the Boar's Head Brigade, offers the opportunity to acquire a degree in a chosen field of study while simultaneously earning an officer's commission in the U.S. Army, either active-duty, Guard or Reserve. The Corps of Cadets is a residential-based ROTC program housed on the university's Dahlonega Campus, and it consistently ranks among the best in the country.

UNG, with more than 130 years of experience educating future leaders, is a University System of Georgia leadership institution and is The Military College of Georgia. With more than 18,000 students, UNG is one of the state's largest public universities. The regional, multi-campus university offers more than 100 programs of study, including certificates, associate degrees, bachelor's degrees, master's degrees, and professional doctoral programs.