ROTC graduates commissioned

The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Division of Military Science is celebrating its Army ROTC Spring 2022 graduates, including a cadet who is recognized as a Distinguished Military Graduate, having placed in the top 15% of all Army ROTC students commissioning this year.

Eleven graduates were commissioned as second lieutenants at the May 7 commencement exercises. Several are already on assignment at bases in the U.S. and abroad, according to a news release.

“Many of our cadets that commissioned this year were first-generation college graduates,” Lt. Col Kevin Moyer, professor of military science, said. “And these cadets overcame significant challenges to break the cycle and earn their degrees. Most have college paid for by the military and get a full-time jobs right out of college with a benefits package. That would dwarf any Fortune 500 company,”

“All they had to do was stick with the program, and these cadets did all of that. And their hard work is going to show. They have risen to the top,” Moyer said.

Michael Gerwitz, who graduated Summa Cum Laude and was one of only 3,700 cadet graduates across the country to receive the Army’s Distinguished Military Graduate honor, was also a student-athlete. He chose UAPB to play NCAA Division 1 baseball but discovered he could also pursue his dream of serving in the Army while obtaining a degree in industrial technology and applied engineering.

“Always staying busy, playing baseball and being a student as well as an ROTC cadet was very time-consuming, but also very rewarding,” Gerwitz said. “It’s hard to pick only one thing, but I know it’s the people that have made this place for me, and it is what I will miss the most. I will forever cherish the different friendships that I have developed during my four years at UAPB. Whether it’s my classmates, teammates or battle buddies, all have helped me become the person I am today. And I am looking forward to starting my military career as an active-duty infantry officer, moving to a new place and meeting new people.”

Kayana Brown earned the Cum Laude distinction and is a third-generation UAPB graduate. Her parents also received their commissioning at the UAPB ROTC. Their sacrifices, Brown said, taught her the value of hard work and discipline and influenced her decision to join the military while pursuing a biology degree.

“At the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, I have enjoyed the familiar feeling of home that UAPB has brought me,” Brown said. “I was able to make mistakes without having the costly consequences that I did not understand. UAPB has coached me to build tough skin and address a problem while also bringing a solution. If I could give advice to future UAPB students and cadets, I would say do the difficult things while they are easy and do the great things while they are small. Do not procrastinate and remember your why as you pursue your undergraduate degree. It will not always be easy, and it won’t always be hard, so don’t quit! Wake up every day with your why at the forefront of your mind.”

The UAPB 2022 commissioned officers, their majors and plans include:

Kayana Brown (biology) – commissioning into the Transportation Corps, U.S. Army – Active Duty and will head to Fort Lee, Va., for her basic course with a follow-on assignment to South Korea;

Tyesha Fields (forensic chemistry) – commissioning into the Chemical Corps, U.S. Army – Active Duty and is heading to Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., for her basic course;

Michael Gerwitz (industrial technology and applied engineering) – commissioning into the Infantry Corps, U.S. Army – Active Duty and will receive his follow-on assignment while he attends his basic course in Fort Benning, Ga.;

Sade Hudson (human performance) – commissioning into the Quartermaster Corps, U.S. Army – Active Duty and is already on assignment to Fort Drum, N.Y., after the completion of her basic course at Fort Lee, Va.;

Devin Holmes (industrial technology and applied engineering) – commissioning into the Quartermaster Corps, Arkansas National Guard this summer;

Kaunecia McCoy (general studies) – commissioning into the Quartermaster Corps, Arkansas National Guard;

Andrea Riera-Salinas (biology) – commissioning into the Military Police Corps, U.S. Army – Active Duty and is already on assignment to South Korea following the completion of her basic course at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.;

Amayia Rhodes (nursing) – commissioning into the U.S. Army Nurse Corps – Active Duty and will go to Fort Sam Houston, Texas, for her basic course;

Janee Townsend (social work) – commissioning into the Transportation Corps, U.S. Army Reserves and will report to Houston, Texas;

Djuan Williams (criminal justice) – commissioning into the Transportation Corps, U.S. Army Reserves and will report to Houston, Texas;

Zeyaria Williams (industrial technology and applied engineering) – commissioning into the Transportation Corps, U.S. Army – Active Duty and will receive her follow-on assignment while she attends her basic course in Fort Lee, Va.;

For details on the UAPB ROTC program, contact Jalina Williams, retention and scholarship officer, at williamsj@uapb.edu or (870) 575-8455.