1st Lt. Dwight Bennett, '19, learned resiliency as a cadet at UNG. Those lessons serve him well in his current role as an executive officer at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
"I learn from my failures every time," Bennett said. "I keep those with me as lessons learned, and I share those experiences with others. You can't be afraid to not be perfect."
In his early years in the Army, Bennett has gained specialized training at the Army Pathfinder School and the Army Air Assault School. Through such opportunities, Bennett maintains his pursuit of excellence by focusing on personal improvement rather than comparing himself to others.
"I don't try to be better than anyone else. I try to be a better me every day," Bennett said. "As long as I can be better than I was yesterday, I am doing the right things."
At UNG, Bennett discovered a passion for the Arabic language and culture that took him around the world and supplemented the leadership experiences he gained as a member of the Corps of Cadets.
Bennett described his time at UNG as colorful since he was part of many organizations and held many roles in and out of the corps.
Coming from a military background, Bennett looked for opportunities that could mold him into a better man and soldier. He found those opportunities as he rose through the ranks from Color Guard commander to company first sergeant to brigade sergeant major to finally, company commander.
His military experience also allowed for international opportunities. In 2016, Bennett was invited to attend International Cadet Week hosted by the National Defense Academy in Latvia, a country on the Baltic Sea in eastern Europe that borders Russia. This was an honor as only two cadets and a military science faculty member from UNG were selected.
His international experiences did not stop there. While he initially pursued a business degree, Bennett became interested in the Summer Language Institutes (SLI). In the institute, students learn a language for six weeks and earn eight credit hours, fulfilling their foreign language requirements. Once he completed SLI, Bennett realized he had a passion for Arabic and changed his major.
He took three Arabic courses at a university in Fez, Morocco, for nine weeks while living with a host family.
In his senior year, he served as a resident assistant for one of the residence halls. Bennett was also a member of the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity, which he valued as an outlet to meet new people and take a break from his military responsibilities.
Each of his experiences shaped him into the Army officer he is today, and he remains grateful for how UNG prepared him for success.
