For Dylan Wood, a mechanical engineering major from Akron, Indiana, who holds a four- year National Navy Scholarship, Storm ɬ�﷬ offered a unique opportunity to engage with elementary school students and to put his knowledge to the test. Wood was one of more than 15 members of Tau Beta Pi, the college’s engineering honor society, who helped make this year’s Storm ɬ�﷬ a success.

To get students ready for the competition, Wood created a YouTube video in which he demonstrated the basic steps of assembling the catapult kit provided to all participating school teams and offered helpful tips on how to improve performance. Catapults with an even platform, he told them, will lob their ammunition farther than those with an uneven platform.

“After helping with the competition last year,” said Wood, “I really wanted to be part of it again this year because you get a chance to see the smaller children adapt. They try different weights and different ways of arranging the weights, and it’s really interesting to see how they overcome challenges, like what they do if their catapult fires backward.”

Wood himself is no stranger to working through challenges to improve a design. He and four of his fellow mechanical engineering classmates designed a fishing reel with a dynamic braking system. Traditional fishing reels use a static braking system that applies even pressure, while the reel Wood’s team designed applies gradual pressure based on how fast the spool is spinning. The faster the spool spins, the harder the brake is applied, keeping tension in the fishing line and allowing for a better cast.

At graduation, Wood was named Second Honor Graduate for his stellar academic record. Now, his Gone Fishin’ sign will be flipped to Gone Flyin’ as he heads to Pensacola to begin Naval aviation training.

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Hronek is a veteran student majoring in chemistry and molecular biology. He is also a husband and
a father who plans to pursue a career as a forensic scientist. Last summer he had an internship with the Charleston Police Department in its Forensic Services Division, where he got hands-on experience with the methods used in criminal investigations.

In the spring semester, he was paired with Schiller. A 1960 graduate, Schiller holds a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Michigan. In the Air Force, Schiller was a fighter pilot before heading the chemistry department at the U.S. Air Force Academy. He retired as a brigadier general after 25 years in the military and went on to have an illustrious career in the world of sports, serving as president of Turner Sports, commissioner of the Southeastern Conference, CEO of YankeeNets and executive director of the U.S. Olympic Committee.

“I was very impressed with his history,” said Hronek, whose first meeting with the sports mogul took place at a restaurant overlooking Charleston harbor. “He has an extensive biography on Wikipedia, and he’s had a very interesting life. I was walking to my chemistry class in Byrd Hall, and I noticed his name on a plaque.”

Schiller’s advice to Hronek, and to any young student, is spot on in today’s fluid job market. “I would tell anyone to make sure you understand that you’re entering into a diverse world and make sure you understand what the new world looks like, especially here in the United States,” said Schiller. “On top of that, it helps you to think about change, and change will be major part of your life where it wasn’t for your predecessors in the same way.”

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For the last 10 years, the Indianapolis native has been playing the euphonium, a brass instrument that looks like a small tuba. He also came to ɬ�﷬ because he wanted to serve. Although he comes from a military family, Mendoza’s need to serve is actually in the field of education. “As a little kid, I wanted to be a teacher,” he said. “It’s always been my dream to teach.” A social studies education major, Mendoza completed a semester-long student-teaching assignment in the spring at Wando High School in Mount Pleasant, where he taught geography and world history.

With his band and student-teaching obligations, free time seems as if it would be in short supply, but Mendoza was able to make time to serve as president of the Sustainability Project, a campus club run by cadets under the guidance of STEM Director Jennifer Albert, Ph.D.

Next to the rifle and pistol range on the Ashley River sits a 320-square-foot container where the aeroponic farming operation takes place. After starting seeds in pods made from coconut grounds, cadets place the seedlings in the vertical panels that hang from the container ceiling. There are 14 double-sided panels that hold 160 plants each. The planting cycle takes about six weeks, with cadets harvesting 2,000 plants on a two-week rotation schedule. From planting seeds to monitoring temperature, water and nutrient levels from a web interface that works from their phones, cadets manage a farming operation that supplies faculty and staff and the mess hall with fresh, local greens, herbs, strawberries and peas.

“Sustainable farming is important to feeding the world,” said Mendoza, who graduated in May. “This is a lesson that I will take with me into the classroom.”

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The expanse of the archives was also surprising. Uniforms, swords, rings, letters and photos can be found from a range of time periods and donors. “There are so many hidden treasures back there.” Her favorite piece? “I’m partial to the original kilts of the Pipe Band,” said Nevin, who also happens to be a member. The fact that modern items will someday become history is not lost on her, either. Her own time capsule would include something from her tenure in the Pipe Band.

Sorting through ɬ�﷬’s archives has given Nevin a new appreciation for how important the past can be, as well as how we experience it. Her ultimate goal is to teach history and share it in an immersive way. “The biggest thing I want to bring to the classroom is the reality of it all. In my high school history classes, we just memorized dates and names. When you’re able to see a picture of the person or hear his or her voice, it completely changes things.”

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“Finance is a hard industry to break into,” said Baxa, “especially if you don’t have industry connections.”

Through a new mentorship program as part of the pre-banking and finance pathway program under the direction of Paul Meeks, a professor of practice in the Baker School of Business, finance majors will begin working with industry professionals in their freshman year to customize their classes and internship experiences to their specific career plans. But even before the program was formalized, energetic students like Baxa enjoyed access to Meeks’ guidance.

Baxa started out as a marketing major. He spent a semester studying marketing at the American University of Rome, but a summer internship with a marketing firm made him realize that he might be better suited to another profession. A subsequent internship at Northwestern Mutual opened his eyes to the world of finance and wealth management, and he added a second major in finance. As Baxa began his senior year with a heavy courseload, he discovered how lucky he was to have Meeks in his corner.

Meeks, who has more than 30 years of experience as an institutional equity analyst and portfolio manager, appears regularly on CNBC to discuss technology stocks. At ɬ�﷬, though, he is best known for his role in the development of finance majors.

“His extensive real-world knowledge empowers cadets like me to believe that a career in high finance is attainable,” said Baxa. “That’s half the battle. I’ve seen him on TV picking stocks and making macro-environment predictions on CNBC’s Squawk Box, and then heard from him that same morning in the classroom—that type of access is special. It’s also a testament to the fact that normal guys like us can do similarly big things in the industry.”

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“Being out there together built cohesion for our company, especially freshmen and upperclassmen,” said Rosado, a rising junior. “We all agreed it was a lot of fun and worth those few hours of our Sunday.” In addition to gathering produce, Rosado and his fellow Sierra Company classmates pulled weeds and handled odd jobs.

Beyond a boost to company unity, the afternoon of service gave Rosado a new perspective. The Boston- area native had little exposure to life outside a metropolitan suburb before the trip to Johns Island. “I haven’t been to many farms,” he said. “It really opens your eyes to other places in the United States and how people live.” The cadet was also struck by how little some people right in his own backyard have. “I realized how many less-fortunate people there are. I didn’t know until I got here.”

Rosado is eager to continue to make service a foundation of his time at ɬ�﷬. “You have to think of it not for yourself, but for the people you’re serving. You’re doing something bigger than yourself. When you do that, you feel like you’re contributing to a cause. These experiences really make you into the sort of person you would expect to be—and would like to be–coming out of ɬ�﷬.”

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Led by Citadel political science professor Sarah Tenney, Ph.D., the group participated in a food surplus redistribution program for the community, and each joined at least one student organization.

Goldenstein chose two: American football and lacrosse—the latter of which he plays at ɬ�﷬. Cadets were also taken on a tour of the Royal College of Defence and Security Studies.

But the most valuable part of the semester was being able to examine a variety of viewpoints. “Gaining an understanding of the different perspectives in intelligence and strategy in military history in another country was amazing,” said the New York City native. “Taking classes in a foreign country provides a different understanding about history, as well as a wider perspective that we might not always have access to here in South Carolina.”

With his eyes set on a career in diplomacy, Goldenstein, a rising junior, is constantly looking for opportunities to broaden his horizons. Before returning stateside, the jet-setting cadet took part in the first all-military birthright trip, which provides Jewish young adults the opportunity to travel to Israel. He will also have another stint abroad under his belt soon, enrolling in summer classes at the University of Cambridge. “In order to be a good intelligence collector, you have to know more than just your mission objective,” he said. “You have to be a generalist at life. And study abroad gives you that generalist perspective. I’m really thankful to have gone.”

And that’s exactly the point, said Tenney. “Students have to adapt to a new cultural environment,
and that’s not just a career skill, but a life skill.”

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Before the movie began, Andrew Williams, Ph.D., the dean of the School of Engineering, challenged students to think about how engineering is used in the movie. “What would you have to learn to design the engineering project you observe?” he asked. “Which do you think is safer—the manned fighter jets or the unmanned? Which is a better build? How can flameout—the extinguishing of the flame in the combustion chamber—be prevented? And how can fighter jets in the United States be improved?” Williams’ line of questions transported the cadets from the casual atmosphere of the auditorium into the realm of real-world engineering and high-speed flight.

Movie night is just one evening in a weekly program for freshman engineering majors. The program, which lasts for eight weeks in the fall, is called BIIG DOGS—Belonging Innovative Instruction Groups Designed for On-time Graduation Success—and with 161 freshmen majoring in an engineering field, Williams is committed to ensuring their success. As they enjoy dinner and camaraderie, students learn organizational strategies, study skills, mental wellness, innovation skills and an entrepreneurial mindset.

A native of Summerville, South Carolina, Tyson became interested in the military college as a young middle school student participating in STEM activities. Now a rising sophomore, she is a double major in computer science and electrical engineering.

Thanks in part to the BIIG DOGS program and her own hard work, she closed out her freshman year with Gold Stars for achieving a semester GPA of 3.7 or higher. Tyson’s future in engineering is bright, and it appears that she’s been cleared for take-off.

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A scholarship football player, Black spent his final semester as a cadet juggling twice-daily workouts with student-teaching—essentially a full-time job—at nearby Burke High School. But the inside linebacker said being able to have an impact in the local community was worth the early mornings. “I love seeing them learn—when that light bulb goes off, that’s my favorite part.”

He chose Burke, a Title I school directly adjacent to ɬ�﷬’s Johnson Hagood Stadium, in part because it eliminated commute time in an already full day, but also because he felt he could make a valuable impact. “I knew I could be a good influence and role model.” Though he may have been a little hard on his students sometimes, Black’s goal was to make a difference in their lives. “I hope my students would describe me as someone who values them as people,” he said, “that they would say I challenged them and cared about them.”

At the same time, Black got a lot out of the opportunity. “You can’t duplicate the hands-on experience that I got,” he said. “Burke has given me the tools to be successful, and my time there will make me a better teacher.”

So what’s next? Black’s goals are lofty. He has aspirations to play in the NFL, but he still has his eyes on academic challenges and plans to pursue his MBA, as well as a career in education. “It’s just about balance.”

Black’s interest in teaching grew out of his own childhood. “I thought back on some of the good experiences I had with teachers,” he said. “My mom is a teacher. My history teacher made history fun.” Black decided he wanted to pass along those positive memories to the next generation of high school students.

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Editor-in-Chief Elissa Reckdenwald, an intelligence and Spanish major, got involved with the journal her junior year, initially thinking she would play a minor part. “We had our first meeting to determine roles, and when it came time for editor-in-chief, my hand just went up.” As the Sierra Company commander, Reckdenwald is no stranger to leading a team. Under her leadership, the publication was able to nearly double the number of student submissions between her junior and senior year.

They also built a team that worked well together. “We have so many different moving parts, which are all connected. If someone falls short, it halts our entire operation. It’s accountability on all fronts,” said Reckdenwald.

Seeing—and holding—the tangible results of all the effort, she discovered, is a unique reward. “When I was first able to touch the journal, I thought about how we made this—there’s no part that isn’t ours.”

Reckdenwald also takes pride in elevating the academic accomplishments of the Corps of Cadets, and bringing prestige to the journal has been a primary goal. “We want it to be competitive, where being published is an honor,” she said. Reckdenwald’s work has paid off. The Gold Star Journal recently won three awards, including the American Scholastic Press Association’s Most Outstanding College Magazine for 2022.

The best part, though, is that their efforts made academics fun. “We’re able to make it interesting—from freshmen through seniors, we get to celebrate their talent,” said Reckdenwald. “It has been a highlight of my cadet career.” With her graduation recently behind her, Reckdenwald will continue her academic endeavors as a law student at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom.

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