The Cadence Summer 2020

T H E

M A G A Z I N E

F O R

G M C

A L U M N I

A N D

F R I E N D S

2020

AN EXTRAORDINARY YEAR: Tradition drives resilience of GMC students, faculty and staff to heroically face COVID-19 pandemic.

THE MAGAZINE FOR GMC ALUMNI AND FRIENDS

Georgia Military College 201 East Greene Street Milledgeville, GA 31061 Phone: (478) 387-0230 Fax: (478) 445-2867

President William B. Caldwell IV Lt.Gen., USA (Ret.)

OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS Jeannie Zipperer, J.D. Director of Staff Dean of Students

Jay Bentley Director of Communications

Jobie Shields Public Affairs Coordinator

Ravonda Bargeron Graphic Designer

Beverly Harvey Publications Specialist

INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT Mark Strom Senior VP for Institutional Development Executive Director - The GMC Foundation

Sally Thrower Associate VP for Institutional Development

Janeen Garpow Director of Development Communications

Denise Wansley Business Manager - The GMC Foundation

Craig Portwood Director of Alumni & Community Engagement

Jennifer Greer Annual Fund Officer

Courtney Adkinson Alumni Engagement Officer

Patty Baugh Strategic Events

Jennifer Stasney Executive Assistant

Alisha Overman Senior Data Analyst

Meg Gray Administrative Assistant

The images and information contained herein are the property of Georgia Military College. Unauthorized use of this material for commercial or other purposes that are inconsistent with the goals and policies of Georgia Military College is prohibited.

COVER PHOTO: GMC Prep School class of 2020 graduates toss their hats in celebration at the close of the institution’s first-ever socially distanced commencement ceremony brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.

INSIDE 9 18 22 37 42 44 46

Prep School News Briefs Junior College News Briefs Corps of Cadets News Briefs Athletics Class Notes Campus News Taps

F E AT U R E S 4

Virtual Reality

8

Historic Preservation Award

Meeting the Challenges of COVID-19

Jenkins Hall Recognized

12

Taking the Lead

14

Character-Based Life

16

Moore Than Meets the Eye

20

Small Business Success

24

Fort Leavenworth Five

26

1st Merchant Marine Appointee

28

Performing Arts

30

Alumni Weekend 2019

Madison Sloan - Prep Class of 2020

Tara Johns Craig (HS’93)

Ashley Moore (HS'07)

Shirley Kelly (JC’08)

Corps of Cadets Alumni

Self-Prep Zachary Steiner

2019-2020 Performances

Photos and Award Recipients

courageous focused thorough powerful adventurous determined productive

OUR STUDENTS resilient ARE skillful

creative tenacious inventive triumphant

VIRTUAL REALITY:

MEETING CHALLENGES OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC Throughout the 140-year history of Georgia Military College, its faculty, staff, and students have endured many character-building challenges – from structure fires to world wars. In the second half of the 2019-2020 academic year, GMC stepped up to meet the challenges faced during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic while keeping the education of students and everyone’s health a priority.

ADAPTING TO THE UNEXPECTED WITH RESILIENCE 4

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From the start, GMC Health Services and administrators stayed up to date on CDC recommendations, as well as state and federal mandatory requirements, regarding COVID-19.

Temperature checks, handwashing, social distancing, and face masks were among the measures taken to help prevent the spread of the virus on GMC campuses.

Almost overnight, all Prep School and Junior College classes went from in-seat to online format, with all students switching to remote learning. During that same time, the IT Department worked to get hundreds of GMC employees at campuses statewide set up with remote access to temporarily work from home.

Throughout the months of remote learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic, educating students remained a top priority at GMC. Prep School faculty members quickly learned which programs and social media outlets to use to teach and to keep in constant contact with their students. Junior College professors already had the Moodle system in place to facilitate the transition for them to online-based remote teaching. (continued on page 6)

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CHALLENGES

(continued from page 4)

Taking extensive measures to help protect the health of students and employees at GMC campuses also became a top priority. Additional cleaning regimens at all campuses were put into place by the GMC Engineering Department and specialized pieces of equipment, such as ionization systems installed with heating and air conditioning units, were purchased to help fight the spread of COVID-19.

As with educational institutions nationwide, all Prep School, Junior College, and Corps of Cadets events and activities were canceled, including performances, sports, and trips. GMC teachers, professors, and students thought outside the box, however, holding a number of the events virtually via Zoom and other video-conferencing programs.

Virtual events included the Prep School eighthgrade formal dining-in, where students set a dinner table and ballroom danced from their families’ dining room instead of the Legislative Chamber. Junior College Chorus and Corps of Cadets Glee Club members joined voices together on Zoom to sing the GMC alma mater.

Not only did GMC Prep and College students and cadets attend classes and take tests at home while

learning remotely during the COVID-19 crisis, the Corp of Cadets Prep Academy Scholars also completed their rigorous PT requirements on their own at home. Their hard work paid off; 42 out of 45 Scholars in the 2019-2020 academic year received appointments from their chosen military academy.

The Corps of Cadets worked with GMC Admissions to create a virtual tour video to combine with a slide presentation to use as recruiting tools for the Corps. The digital combination was used during twice-weekly Google Hangouts virtual meetings with Corps of Cadets applicants from across the nation. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the video and slide show took the place of in-person recruiting visits to high schools.

GMC faculty members answered the call to make masks for law enforcement officials.

Lorrie Brown, an adjunct professor of natural sciences, and Julie Wade, an instructor at the Prep School, donated their time, supplies, and talents to sew face masks that were Brown delivered by GMC to local officers and deputies.

Wade

Softball Alumnae Go to Bat to Fight COVID-19 Six former members of the GMC Junior College softball team stepped up to the plate during the COVID-19 pandemic through their roles as medical professionals and with their sewing talents.

Taylor Little is an ER nurse; Sumer Sloan a certified surgical

technologist; and Morgan Tillman is with the COVID-19 unit, all at Navicent Health in Macon, Georgia. Chelsey Sutton is a nurse at Emanuel Medical Center in Swainsboro, Georgia., and Kirsten Albright an ER nurse at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital. In addition, Hunter Meadows sewed masks to help others in her hometown of Cordele, Georgia.

Little still holds the GMC JC softball team all-time home run record. Little and Albright were teammates on the Lady Bulldogs’ 2016 GCAA Region 17 Softball Championship team.

(l-r) Cheri Fulmer, Admin; Kimberly Pope, LPN; Wendy Smith, RN; and Tabatha Gillis, LPN The GMC Health Services team was a vital part of the institution’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, keeping up to date with the latest information and requirements regarding the disease from the CDC and other agencies. (l-r) Little, Sutton, Sloan, Meadows, Albright and Tillman

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General Caldwell spoke to the Prep School 11th graders on Zoom about becoming great leaders when they are seniors beginning in the fall.

Prep School seniors recreate famous works of art after taking virtual tours of museums around the world during their remote learning time at home.

In April 2020, Prep School Principal Pam Grant and Sgt. Spike completed Operation Senior Swag to surprise members of the class of 2020 with graduation regalia and a yard sign.

Members of the Prep School class of 2020 participate in the socially distanced Senior Drive-Thru event in May 2020.

Junior College Chorus and Corps of Cadets Glee Club members sing the GMC alma mater in a virtual concert on Zoom in March 2020, accompanied by Glee Club Director and Music Professor, Moona Yu.

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JENKINS HALL RECOGNIZED WITH

HISTORIC PRESERVATION AWARD Georgia Military College has been recognized for its

Building until the school opened in fall 1927 to students

dedication to restoring Jenkins Hall to its former

and teachers. The Grammar School project was finalized in

architectural glory with a 2020 Excellence in Rehabilitation

1933 when the auditorium was completed.

Award presented by The Georgia Trust for Historic

During his tenure as GMC president from 1934 to 1950,

Preservation.

Col. Joseph Jenkins routinely visited GMC Grammar

Through its annual awards program, The Georgia Trust,

School during its weekly general assemblies to entertain

one of the nation’s leading nonpartisan preservation

and inspire students with his tall tales. He also attended

organizations, for more than forty years has recognized top

students’ performances held every Friday in the school’s

projects and individuals in Georgia that have made

auditorium. In 1975, the GMC Board of Trustees voted to

significant contributions to the field of historic preservation

renovate the building and, two years later, voted to name it

in compliance with The Secretary of the Interior’s

Jenkins Hall in honor of Jenkins.

Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties.

Following the recent preservation project, the well-

Excellence in Rehabilitation is awarded to projects that

preserved – and beloved – original squeaky wood floors,

make modern use of a building through repairs, alterations,

and the solid heart pine classroom doors topped by classic

or additions while also preserving features that retain and

transom windows have been among the favorite features of

showcase its historic value. Jenkins Hall received the

the restored Jenkins Hall noted by current students and

distinguished award in April 2020.

alumni. A formal ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house

GMC and its architect worked with the Georgia

for the historic structure were held in October 2019.

Department of Natural Resources Historic Preservation

Jenkins Hall now houses third, fourth, and fifth grades

Division to determine the proper steps needed to

for the GMC Prep School. It reopened in fall 2019 with 150

completely restore Jenkins Hall. The historic structure

eager elementary students ready to fill the modernly

returned to its original ten-classroom floor plan and

outfitted, state-of-the-art classrooms. The Jenkins Hall

exterior appearance just as it had when it first opened in

basement now serves as an IT Annex with offices and work

1927 as GMC Grammar School.

areas for eleven IT employees. The IT area décor includes

The cornerstone for GMC Grammar School, known by

two murals that were uncovered and salvaged during the

many as “Little GMC,” was laid in 1926, with students

preservation project. The preserved artistic pieces of

attending classes in the basement of the Old Capitol

history were painted in the 1930s by a traveling artist.

THE

GEORGIA TRUST

for H I S TO R I C P R E S E RVAT I O N

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NewsBriefs

PREPARATORY SCHOOL

THIRD GRADE REINTRODUCED

Afterschool Program

GMC Prep School reintroduced third grade in the 2019-2020 school year, welcoming a maximum number of 40 third-graders into two classrooms on the first day of school.

Throughout the school year, third-graders joined in various elementary school activities and programs that included becoming Bulldog Buddies with the high school seniors, joining a Junior Bulldogs sports team, and expressing themselves in the new elementary visual arts program.

Third-grade students expanded their educational horizons in other ways that included: taking a field trip to The Rock Ranch and to the Museum of Aviation; participating in Fire Safety Awareness Month with an informative, interactive visit from the Baldwin County Fire Department; and writing and publishing their own hardcover books.

One of the third-grade teachers, Sara Gray (HS ’10, JC ’11), is a GMC Prep School, as well as GMC Junior College, alumna.

Fourth and fifth grades were reintroduced at the Prep School at the start of the 2018-2019 school year. To meet enrollment demands, an additional class was added to fourth and fifth grades in fall 2019.

The GMC Board of Trustees approval of the addition of third through fifth grades allows the Prep School elementary program to dovetail with the county public school system that has K-2 primary schools.

When in-seat classes were held during the 2019-2020 school year, Prep School students and their parents had the opportunity to participate in an afterschool program first introduced in February 2019. The program is open to students in third through fifth grades.

The afterschool program offers regular enrollment as well as a daily drop-in option, giving parents several childcare choices to fit their needs. An average of 35 students – almost one-fourth of elementary school enrollment – participated in the program.

Students who participate in the Prep School afterschool program are given a snack, and have opportunities to complete their homework and participate in various activities, such as art and games, as well as outdoor playtime.

Prep School Annex and Jenkins Hall Open A pair of ribbon-cutting ceremonies was held at the start of the 2019-2020 school year to unveil the all-new GMC Prep School Annex and the adjoining fully restored historic Jenkins Hall. Both facilities house elementary school students in third, fourth, and fifth grades.

The Prep School Annex has a 1,428-square-foot visual arts studio; the Bulldog Café, a cafétorium for students

in third through ninth grades, featuring a snappy black and red décor and a sizeable stage; expansive Pursley Patio with a fireplace located outside directly off the cafétorium; and two computer labs for third through twelfth grades.

Jenkins Hall was restored to its original ten classrooms, each with their charming transom windows. Each teacher decorated their classroom with a different theme to add a fun, modern touch to the facility’s historic interior design.

The structure’s facade was reestablished to feature its original exterior windows arrangement.

Additions include a recreational room for P.E. classes and an outside playground.

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NewsBriefs

PREPARATORY SCHOOL

ELEMENTARY VISUAL ARTS PROGRAM INTRODUCED The Prep School Visual Arts Program was expanded to include third, fourth, and fifth grades beginning at the start of the 2019-2020 school year. The youngest students were taught in the classroom and online by elementary art teacher Andrea Sammons (HS ’10).

Through the creative process of art, students were exposed to other cultures, including Latino and African. Along the way, they were able to pull in other disciplines by using their researching, reading, writing, and math skills. Students were taught about the elements of art and principles of design.

Fourth- and fifth-graders were immersed in art-inspired cultural studies that included learning about the Mexican holiday Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, “a bright,

fun way to introduce them to another culture around them,” Sammons says.

Students made colorful skulls, papiermache masks, and spirit animals using aluminum foil and papier-mache. They also wrote “beautiful stories” about their spirit animals, she says.

When remote learning began in March

due to COVID-19, Sammons and her students took art classes online. “We found a groove halfway through,” she says. Sammons made videos and posted them on a private portal, Padlet, and Facebook account. Students could remain anonymous on Padlet, while sharing their artwork and commenting on classmates’ creations.

In addition, Sammons provided each student with an Art-to-Go bag filled with materials needed to complete several art projects at home. Toward the end of the school year, Sammons created a website to display a virtual art show for her students.

Sammons is a Prep School alumna who attended classes in Jenkins Hall when she was a student and now teaches students in the fully restored historic building.

Baldwin County 4-H Winners

Eagle Scout Honors

A trio of Prep School fourth-grade students were Baldwin County 4-H contest winners during the 2019-2020 school year with a variety of creations from a holiday card to a healthy sandwich recipe.

Maddie Elder used various found items gathered around her home to take first place in the Baldwin County 4-H Ornament Contest.

Maddie’s ornament featured a snowman made out of a light bulb sitting inside a blue box decorated with a ribbon and other items.

Aharon Walls took firstplace honors in the Baldwin County 4-H “Peanutrition Contest,” sponsored by the Georgia Peanut Commission, with his wholesome peanut butter sandwich recipe. For the winning recipe, Aharon added slices of banana and Granny Smith apple to ramp-up the nutrition value of the sandwich.

Anna Grace Darity composed a heartfelt card about things and people in her life she is most thankful for to win the 2019 Baldwin County 4-H Thanksgiving Day Card Contest. In addition to writing the winning card entry, Anna Grace decorated the holiday card.

Two Prep School students – eleventhgrader Hudson Caldwell and eighthgrader Jayden Daniel - earned the highest rank of Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America during the 2019-2020 school year.

For his Eagle Scout service project, Hudson chose to resurface the boat dock at the GMC lake lot located on Lake Sinclair in Milledgeville. He engaged the help of several friends and collected donations to complete the project.

To complete his Eagle Scout service project, Jayden built six bat houses and installed them at the Rock Eagle 4-H Center in Eatonton. He is the first Prep GMC Prep students Bryce Smith, School student to earn an Eagle Scout Jayden Daniel, and Dylan Smith badge who was also part of the GMC Prep School High Adventure Leadership Program.

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Caldwell

NewsBriefs

PREPARATORY SCHOOL

ROTC Scholarships

Distinguished Order of the Servant Leader Awards Five Prep School students volunteered their time and talents to serve others and earn the Distinguished Order of the Servant Leader Award during the 20192020 school year. During the Martin Luther King Jr. Ceremony held in January 2020, the award was presented to three Prep School students: senior Tyler Crump had 600 hours of service, eighth-grader Sara Johnson 400 hours, and eighth-grader Danica Resha 200 hours.

Two other seniors, Tara MacCartee and Ryan Barsby, each completed 100 hours for the year and were set to officially receive the award during spring 2020, but were unable to as school events were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Crump

Johnson

Resha

MacCartee

Ryan Barsby

Meredith McCook

4-Year Army ROTC Scholarship Vanderbilt University

3-Year Army ROTC Scholarship University of Tennessee Chattanooga

Barsby

ELP Summer Interns The Executive Leadership Program (ELP) offers an 8-week internship to Prep School graduates in various departments at GMC. 2020 ELP'ers: First row: Charles Lam and Jonathan Bradley Second Row: Emily Arp, Mattison Strom, Tara MacCartee, Shayla Simmons, Jessica Edwards Third Row: ELP Program Administrator, Jill Robbins, Caylee Barnes, Ju’Niah Beal and President William Caldwell.

Not pictured: Kayleigh Stackpole and Leah Frazier.

2019-2020 STAR STUDENT AND STAR TEACHER Senior and class of 2020 valedictorian, Carson Waters, was named the Prep School 2019-2020 STAR Student. Biology and AP biology teacher, Emily Boylan, was then selected by Waters to be 2019-2020 STAR Teacher.

As STAR Student, Waters received a $500 scholarship. He plans to attend the University of Georgia to major in the biological sciences and eventually enter the pre-dentistry degree program. Boylan taught Waters biology in ninth grade and AP biology in eleventh grade.

Boylan has received the honor of being chosen as STAR Teacher three times so far in her teaching career. She was also chosen by 2014-2015 Prep School STAR Student Katie Nelson and 2017-2018 STAR Student Tyler Gray.

The STAR Student has the highest score on a single SAT test date in their graduating class and is in the top 10% or Top 10 students of their class based on GPA. The STAR Teacher is the teacher who the STAR Student feels has made the most significant contribution to their academic development.

The STAR (Student-Teacher Achievement Recognition) statewide program is overseen and administered by the Professional Association of Georgia Educators Foundation, or PAGE. For more than thirty years, the local sponsor for the program has been the Milledgeville-Baldwin County Chamber of Commerce.

Carson Waters and Emily Boylan

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PREPARATORY SCHOOL - CLASS OF 2020

TA K I N G T H E L E A D I N L I F E Madison Sloan (HS ’20) has sung, danced, and acted her way through school since third grade – from her role as Shulie in “Schoolhouse Rock Live! Jr.” to Rosie in “Mamma Mia!” – winning awards and garnering recognition along the way.

S

loan’s love of theater was the reason the Prep School class of 2020 graduate chose to attend Columbus State University to pursue a bachelor’s degree in theatre with an eye toward a future on or behind the stage.

“I know I want to work in theatre. … I’m not really sure where I see myself. I really want to explore this in college,” Sloan says, noting that her studies at Columbus State give her the chance to take classes in all areas of theatre, including acting, directing, scene design, sound, and teaching.

Despite the fact that as a third-grader Sloan lost her voice at the last minute and was unable to sing on opening night of her first musical performance, she remained bitten by the acting bug. She excelled from the start, landing roles in third grade that were meant for fifth-graders.

Sloan began attending the Prep School in sixth grade. By her sophomore year, she was winning GHSA Literary and One Act Play competitions thanks to her singing and acting prowess. By the time she was cast as Babe Williams in “The Pajama Game” that same year, Sloan was starting to feel more comfortable and sure of herself on stage.

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“She has an amazing, unique quality that really makes her stand out,” Prep School Theatre Director and Assistant Fine Arts Director, Jenny Morris, says regarding Sloan, who was typically cast as a character actor. “She can mold herself into all of these characters, which is a great asset to have as an actress.”

As a junior, Sloan won Best Actress at the 2018 GHSA One Act Play Class A Public State Championship for her role as Violet Newstead in “9 to 5: The Musical.” Out of all of the roles she was cast for in elementary, middle, and high school, playing Violet in “9 to 5” was her favorite.

After the musical comedy took first place at the GHSA state competition, the Prep School troupe traveled to Columbus, Georgia, to perform two shows on the main stage at the Georgia Thespian Conference, or ThesCon, in front of thousands of other high school theatre students.

“That’s the most proud I have ever been of a play,” Sloan says regarding the ThesCon performances of “9 to 5,” adding that “all the marks were hit” by the Prep School cast. “I was so proud to be a leading player in a play like that.”

“SHE HAS AN AMAZING, UNIQUE QUALITY THAT REALLY MAKES HER STAND OUT,” -- PREP SCHOOL THEATRE DIRECTOR AND ASSISTANT FINE ARTS DIRECTOR, JENNY MORRIS

Sloan returned to ThesCon in 2020 as a member of the All-State Opening Production, one of only 50 to make the cut out of more than 300 high schoolers who tried out for the musical “Memories,” written

by Morris, who serves as Georgia Thespians Director of the All-State Opening Production. The play features songs from Broadway classics. Sloan sang the part of Magenta for the song “Time Warp” from “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” as well as in ensemble numbers.

“They are some of the most amazing performers I’ve ever seen,” Sloan says of her high school thespian peers she performed with at ThesCon 2020. She enjoyed “seeing their perspective on performing, learning, and what they want to do in the future.”

As a theatre major at Columbus State, Sloan plans to participate in ThesCon each year, perhaps helping

out during auditions. The annual event showcases the state of Georgia’s top high school theatre performers, technicians, and educators.

Sloan’s final Prep School performance was to be as Mrs. Meers, her first role as an antagonist, in “Thoroughly Modern Millie,” the last theatre production for members of the class of 2020. Unfortunately, the play was canceled along with all other student activities and events due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In her end-of-senior-year and second-place Usery essay, Sloan reflects on hitting all the marks and making memories during her years at the Prep School. “The impact that GMC has had on me is less of what it has done for me and more of who it has made me,” she writes, “as I will take the school and its values wherever I go.”

Virtual Virtuosos Seniors Caroline Charnes and Jessica Edwards were among students across Georgia whose artwork was selected in May 2020 for the 21st annual Metro Atlanta High School Exhibition, cosponsored by the Georgia Art Education Association and the High Museum of Art. The annual exhibit was held only online with a virtual gallery showcased on the High Museum website. Artwork for the exhibit was selected based on several criteria that included application of media and personal artistic expression.

“Oozing Imagination”

by Jessica Edwards

“Woman Walking Alone on the Beach” by Caroline Charnes

Socially Distanced Pomp and Circumstance

prep 2020 graduation

Members of the class of 2020 stand during a socially distanced graduation ceremony held on Grant Parade in June 2020.

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PREPARATORY SCHOOL ALUMNI

LEADING A

CHARACTER-BASED LIFE A N D S AV I N G A L I F E Almost 30 years after graduating from GMC Prep School, Tara Johns Craig (HS ’93) continues to be influenced by her character-based education – from the career she chose to her decision to donate a kidney to help save a stranger’s life.

“One of the biggest values I learned [at GMC] … is Smith signed up together on the Registry, a compatible just to help others,” says Craig, who chose to be an pair was found in Utah to swap kidneys. The recipient English teacher thanks, in part, to GMC Prep School in Utah matched Craig’s blood type, with her kidney Principal Pam Grant, who taught English when going to them. The donor in Utah matched Smith’s Craig was a Prep School student. blood type, with their kidney going to him.

It was in her role as an English teacher at “It’s just so obvious this was God’s plan,” Craig Perry Middle School in Houston County, Georgia, says months later, still marveling at the timing and that Craig got to know Assistant Principal Kizzy how quickly things had fallen into place once the Johnson, and learned that Johnson’s boyfriend, Jerrell process began. Craig made her decision to become Smith, was in dire need of a donated kidney. a living donor in November 2019. She went in to have At that time, Smith, a 27-year veteran of the Fort surgery, along with Smith, in February 2020.

Valley Police Department, had spent five years undergoing Craig and Smith are no longer strangers. They and their dialysis three times a week. He had been on the National Kidney families have grown quite close in the months following the lifesaving Registry list waiting for a donor for three years. In his mind, Smith surgeries. “I’ve gotten to know his whole family,” Craig says. “His knew the average wait time was between five to eight years. family had prayed for so long. I was an answer to that prayer. … He After speaking with Johnson, Craig took a weekend to think it over couldn’t live much longer on dialysis [with] no kidney function.” and to speak with her husband about it, which included planning how Smith and Craig live less than 5 miles from each other in Perry, the couple would take care of their 2-year-old son during her postGeorgia. He speaks to her at least once a week and often drops by her surgery recovery. By the end of that weekend, Craig had decided to home, along with Johnson, at a moment’s notice. Smith says Craig become a living donor on behalf of Smith. gave him “the opportunity to get a second chance at life.” A life free of Once Craig made her decision to help Smith, his years of waiting dialysis. turned to weeks and days.

“The biggest thing is Since their blood types not having to be attached to were not a match, Craig a machine,” Smith says by and Smith were placed telephone while enjoying together on the National his first vacation in five Kidney Registry in what is years without having to be called a paired exchange hooked up for hours to a donation program, with portable dialysis machine. hopes of finding another “Compared to dialysis, recipient-donor pair to I’ve got a lot of energy. I swap compatible kidneys. am able to exercise now. I The expected wait time am able to walk a longer for the paired exchange distance.” donation was a year. Only In fall 2020, Craig will Tara (fourth from left) with classmates at GMC's 2018 Alumni Weekend eight days after Craig and start a new position as a

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media specialist at Bonaire Middle School, where she will continue to serve others through her career and her life, all of which she attributes to the characterbased education she received from GMC Prep School.

“I feel like GMC has influenced everything I do,” says Craig, who attended GMC Prep School in seventh through twelfth grades. “I would say GMC has influenced every aspect of my life.”

Craig family with the Smith family

Change of Command with a Change In May 2020, the Prep School held the long-standing tradition of its high school Change of Command Ceremony to transfer leadership to the class of 2021 officers with a few changes made due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The ceremony was held outside on Davenport Field with students observing social distancing, and taking other necessary precautions.

FUNDRAISER BAGS GAME BIRDS AND SCHOLARSHIPS 2020 Bill Craig Memorial Pheasant/Quail Hunt and Auction Participants in the 2020 Bill Craig Memorial Pheasant/Quail Hunt and Auction pose before heading out to hunt. The annual event is a fundraiser for the Bill Craig Scholarship Fund, which provides a 4-year scholarship for two GMC Prep School cadets. The event is held on the last Saturday in February at Burnt Pine Plantation in Newborn, Georgia, a favorite hunting place for the late Bill Craig (HS ’71) and his brother, Henry Craig (HS ’65, JC ’67).

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PREPARATORY SCHOOL ALUMNI

MUCH

MOORE

THAN MEETS THE EYE GMC Prep School class of 2007 alumna, Ashley Moore, has used her life experiences to make the world a better place.

S

he is a multifaceted and driven young professional – succeeding as a cardiac clinical specialist, nonprofit domestic violence volunteer, and a model representing women of color. The Seven Year Club member of the Prep School has overcome a painful past and is making the most of her passions.

After graduating from the Prep School, Moore attended Georgia State University with dreams of entering medical school, but switched to broadcast journalism because of her love for writing and being in front of the camera. As a student, Moore worked in Georgia State’s fundraising department, calling alumni to ask them to support the university financially, which prepared her for a sales career.

A few years later, with two internships and a completed college degree, Moore worked in the marketing department of an Atlanta business. After two years and three promotions, she was approached by one of the largest consulting firms for university fundraising, Ruffalo Noel Levitz (RNL). For three years, Moore traveled, working alongside university students and staff members from around the country, managing fundraising campaigns with goals of raising $300,000 or more in a matter of weeks.

While at RNL, Moore received two awards that recognized the Top 10 percent of managers in the company. Within three years, she had managed a total of almost $10 million for various colleges and universities. During that time, Moore completed a Master of Business Administration degree in only 15 months.

A few years later, Moore was approached by Medtronic, a leading international biomedical technology company, to join its inside sales team for its Minimally Invasive Therapy Group division.

Less than two years later, she was promoted to the company’s largest division, the Cardiovascular Group.

“Talk about divine intervention. … My heart has always been in medicine and science,” says Moore, who opted to work for Medtronic in Las Vegas, selling gastroenterology devices used to diagnosis medical conditions, such as Crohn’s disease, irritable bowel syndrome, and ulcerative colitis. “I learned so much about these clinical states.”

While building her impressive career, Moore was coping with a tragic event that occurred in January 2001. Moore lost her mother, Sheila Easley, to domestic violence. Her mother was a devoted employee of Georgia Military College. “GMC did such a great job providing a memorial service for my mother, and they made sure my brother and sister were taken care of,” Moore recalls. “I’m so appreciative of everything the school did for my siblings and me during that time. They rallied around me when I lost my mom, and that always stands out in my mind when I think about GMC.” After moving to Las Vegas, Moore discovered people were dying at a faster rate there than in most areas of the country due to domestic violence. She completed training to become a certified domestic violence advocate with SafeNest, Nevada’s largest domestic violence advocacy nonprofit organization that provides victims a wide range of support and resources. “So while my career has me here, I’m also using my personal experience to spread awareness and increase education on these issues in our state,” she says.

Moore modeled part time as a college student and later discovered a market for minority modeling in Las Vegas. She walked the runways during New York Fashion Week in December 2019, with photos of her featured in Vogue Italia. “Storytelling modeling is the type of modeling I really am passionate about,” Moore says. “It’s more than just being on a cover, which I am humbled and thankful by, but there’s so much art in the world of modeling.”

“I KNEW IN COLLEGE THAT GMC PREPARED ME MORE THAN SOME OF MY PEERS.." -- ASHLEY MOORE

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PREPARATORY SCHOOL ALUMNI learning about the subjects. English teacher Shannon Davis influenced Moore’s love for writing, pulling her writing interest and talent out through various exercises.

“The tag line, ‘Start Here, Go Anywhere,’ from GMC is so true,” Moore says. “The school prepared me in so many areas of my life, not just academically, but with my physical discipline, too. The physical demands of PT and having Rutledge say, ‘Monday, fun day, run day,’ still rings loudly in my head to this day. I’m still running miles every week because of those disciplines.

“I was given many responsibilities at GMC,” she continues. “It was hard there, and my time as a student molded me into a hustler, both as a student and as a professional. … I knew in college that GMC prepared me more than some of my peers. I was ready and was already a working professional while a student. Those three teachers were instrumental in my education – and in my career.”

Moore authored a book, “The Natural Hair Bible,” after she saw a need for women of color to learn how to wear their hair naturally without harsh chemicals. The book, purchased by readers in the U.S., Australia, U.K., and Africa, with plans to publish in Asia, is dedicated to her mother. “My bond with my mother was so strong because, every Sunday, she did my hair,” Moore says. “Parents can use hair to drive bonding with their children, especially in the black community, where our hair can be perceived as troublesome.”

Her brand, Lifestyle of Moore, with the tagline – “Moore food. Moore travel. Moore life.” – chronicles her travels and perspectives on life. Recently, she went from writing a blog to posting videos on YouTube and food reviews on Tripadvisor.

Moore credits Prep School eighth-grade science teacher, Mrs. Barr, for bringing out her passion for science. Anne Mason’s anatomy and physiology class was tough, but by the end of the class, Moore loved

JUNIOR COLLEGE ALUMNI

YANCEY LEGACY

The life and legacy of the late Goodloe Yancey III (JC’49) have become synonymous with the fine arts at Georgia Military College.

A planned gift established by Yancey continues to provide financial support to the GMC Prep School and Junior College fine arts programs, including to help jumpstart fundraising for the newly approved Center for the Education of the Arts.

The GMC Junior College Corps of Cadets alumnus was a member of the marching band during his time as a student. Fond memories of those years inspired Yancey decades later to sponsor the band room at The Kidd Center by providing a donation for the spacious room.

“I really did have a great time,” Yancey, who passed away in 2018, has said of his College marching band days. “In fact, I became quite an accomplished musician at GMC, mastering the sophistication of my chosen instrument: the bass drum.”

Yancey and his fellow GMC Junior College cadets took great pride in being a part of the Corps of Cadets during the post WWII years. “We were very proud to wear that cadet uniform,” he said.

The Albany, Georgia, native graduated from GMC and The University of Georgia before joining the U.S. Air Force for two years. Afterward, Yancey moved to Atlanta to work for his family’s company, Yancey Bros. Co., the nation’s first and oldest Caterpillar dealer. He started there as a mechanic’s helper in 1954, moving his way up to president by 1974. Prior to retirement, Yancey returned to school to earn an Executive MBA from Harvard Business School at

Harvard University.

In 1995, Yancey reconnected with his beloved GMC to support his alma mater and then-President Peter Boylan at the beginning of determined efforts to return the College to its former glory – and beyond. In addition to providing generous financial donations, Yancey went on to serve as a GMC Trustee Advisory member, and GMC Foundation Board trustee and advisory committee member. He was also an Oak Leaf Society member and Distinguished Alumnus Award recipient.

Over the years, Yancey’s continued financial support for the fine arts at GMC earned him the nickname “angel of music.” His estate gift has posthumously provided the seed funds to build the newly approved Center for the Education of the Arts at the GMCMilledgeville campus.

In addition, Yancey’s perpetual gift helps the GMC Prep School to purchase music, costumes, and other materials to present award-winning theatre productions that provide entertainment for the GMC Family and those living in the surrounding area.

Yancey and his wife, Delores Ann, were married for 61 years. Together, they raised three sons, Goodloe IV, James, and Allen, and have one grandchild.

Goodloe Yancey III

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JUNIOR COLLEGE

FAYETTEVILLE

ADDITION TO GMC-FAYETTEVILLE CAMPUS The GMC-Fayetteville campus held a grand opening in August 2019 for its 11,000-squarefoot addition, marking a momentous milestone in its four-year history. The new construction adds biology and chemistry labs, an advising center, classrooms, and administrative and faculty offices. The Phase II expansion of the GMC-Fayetteville campus was completed to better serve students and the metro-Atlanta area.

Since it opened in August 2015, the GMC-Fayetteville campus has experienced significant growth in enrollment, an expansion of its academic and degree programs, and an increase in staff and full-time faculty. The Fayette County location is home to a variety of growing industries that include healthcare and a major international film studio.

AUGUSTA

GMC’S 50th BAS graduate Opportunity is the word Tenario Powell uses to describe why he enrolled in the Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) degree program at Georgia Military College (GMC).

After obtaining an Associate Degree in Computer Programming, and another in Computer Support, it was Powell’s registrar at Augusta Technical College (ATC) who told him about GMC’s BAS program and its course transfer agreement with ATC. Powell jumped at the opportunity to further his education. Now he’s GMC’s 50th BAS graduate.

While working toward his BAS degree Powell was also a software developer for the city of Augusta. He says pursuing a BAS degree in Business Management will help him further his career.

“I wanted this degree for personal edification,” Powell explains. “I felt that if I knew the business side of my industry, it will help me advance my career. I really hope that my education will get me a promotion at my place of employment.

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I’ve learned so much at asset towards fulfilling that mission GMC, especially in project at GMC. These degree programs management, data structures, allow students to apply their and information systems. All Associate of Applied Science degree of my courses have helped (AAS), technical, and occupational me learn to program in a coursework towards completing a business-minded way. This bachelor degree. Obtaining a BAS BAS degree combined with degree at GMC can open more my technical skills has really career advancement opportunities Tenario Powell helped broaden my horizons.” and increase earning potential for our Powell completed his BAS degree graduates.” requirements at GMC in October 2019. He Dr. Mike Holmes, Vice President of plans to attend Kennesaw State University Academic Affairs at GMC, says he’s proud to further his education, pursuing a to see how the BAS program has grown Master of Science degree in Information since the institution’s first BAS graduate in Technology.

May 2018.

Tianna Marynell, GMC Degree Program “I’m very proud to see GMC making Coordinator, says GMC’s BAS degree a difference in the lives of its students,” programs have opened new doors for Holmes says. “GMC provides opportunity students to pursue more opportunities in and hope for a brighter future to our their careers. students, and I’m excited that these BAS “Part of GMC’s mission is to produce degree program students are taking educated citizens and contributing advantage of that opportunity to make a members of society,” Marynell says. “Our difference in their lives.”

BAS programs have become an integral

DISTINGUISHED ORDER OF THE SERVANT LEADER AWARD AUGUSTA the more than $100,000 raised for the project, a bronze Georgia Military College-Augusta Associate Professor soldier’s cross statue and four granite benches were added of Communications, Dr. James Brady, received a in August 2019.

Distinguished Order of the Servant Leader Award in The memorial honors the 169 service members from January 2020 for his selfless dedication to making the the Augusta-Central Savannah River Area who died in the Vietnam War Veterans Memorial in downtown Augusta a Vietnam War and commemorates the more than 15,000 reality.

Vietnam War veterans who returned from the war and The Distinguished Order of the Servant Leader Award Dr. James Brady currently live in the Augusta-Central Savannah River Area. and its accompanying medal are presented to GMC students and employees who volunteer at least 100 hours during ETHICS BOWL a 12-month period. Brady was recognized for demonstrating In addition to teaching at the Augusta campus, Brady serves character excellence by contributing more than 1,000 hours in as the GMC Ethics Bowl Coordinator, and was instrumental in the community service for more than a year, all for the war monument. creation of the Association for Practical and Professional Ethics Starting in 2017, Brady spearheaded the planning, design, (APPE) 2-Year College Ethics Bowl, as well as the Georgia High fundraising, location selection, and municipal approval for the School Ethics Bowl.

Vietnam War Veterans Memorial project in Augusta. He also Brady has also served as the lead GMC-Augusta Ethics Bowl singlehandedly worked on media coverage and publicity for the team coach, APPE 2-Year Ethics Bowl Program steering committee project, writing press releases, creating a prospectus book, and chairman, and as a judge and a moderator at the APPE 4-Year designing a website.

Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl National Championship each year since The inspiration for a Vietnam War Veterans Memorial came to 2012. For four consecutive years, 2010-2014, the GMC-Augusta Brady, a 24-year Army veteran, for several reasons. One was a Ethics Bowl team won the College’s state championship under chance encounter he had as a 12-year-old boy with a Vietnam War Brady’s guidance. The team also won the 2014 APPE 2-Year veteran who was a quadruple amputee and felt forgotten by his College Ethics Bowl National Championship held in Chicago. country.

Ethics Bowl participation and competitions help students “That image never left me and that sentiment that he expressed with the development of five key skills: critical thinking; research; never left me,” says Brady, whose work with Vietnam War vets as a communication; civil discourse; and character building. The last longtime member of the Military Order of the World Wars Augusta one – character building – is the most important, Brady says.

Chapter also helped inspire the monument.

“Not only does the Ethics Bowl teach values and moral reasoning The Vietnam War Veterans Memorial was unveiled and critical to developing strong character, but it teaches students dedicated on March 29, 2019, which was also National Vietnam how to respectfully agree and disagree, and to appreciate others’ War Veterans Day, on the median at the intersection of Fourth and points of view,” he says.

Broad streets in downtown Augusta. With funds left over from

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JUNIOR COLLEGE ALUMNI

SHIRLEY KELLY:

SMALL BUSINESS SUCCESS STORY Growing up in Upper Manhattan, Shirley Kelly (JC ’08) was inspired at a young age by the hundreds of street vendors hawking their fare and ware from the sidewalks of New York City.

She longed to have her own small business.

VALDOSTA

D

riven and determined to become a small-business entrepreneur, Shirley landed her first job at age 12, working for a street vendor selling sundry items that included umbrellas. “I used to love rainy days because I made the most money,” she recalls.

After years spent working right out of high school at NBC Studios in Manhattan, Shirley moved in 1994 with her two young daughters to Valdosta, a university town many of her family members already called home. Despite no one in her family ever attending college, the then 30-year-old single mother eventually mustered up the courage to attend a local four-year university.

In spite of her best efforts, Shirley’s first college venture turned out not to be a good fit. It also came at a time in her life when it was too challenging for her to pursue a bachelor’s degree. “I was thinking to myself, ‘do you give up, or what do you do here?’” she says.

Shirley didn’t give up. Her dream of becoming a small-business owner grew even stronger. A classmate had suggested that Shirley consider enrolling at Georgia Military College in Valdosta. She sent her school transcripts to GMC-Valdosta, reasoning that it would make the second step easier.

“And it was,” says Shirley, who initially met with Bonnie Tindall at GMC-Valdosta, an assistant professor of political science and social science coordinator, who has since retired. “I just could not believe the difference between [GMC and the university]. I felt like I was talking to someone who was actually interested in me. … It was the difference between night and day.”

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While attending GMC-Valdosta, Shirley was always reading and studying for classes. Even during major holidays, she could be found off on her own with textbooks and notebooks in hand. In 2008, Shirley graduated cum laude from GMC-Valdosta with an Associate Degree in Business Administration.

Shirley’s undying determination to obtain a college degree inspired each of her four children to also attend college. Both daughters have graduated with bachelor’s degrees and are leading successful careers. Both sons are currently attending a four-year university. “In my mind, it’s hard to say ‘I want you to go to college,’ if I didn’t do it myself,” Shirley says, referring to her children, happily noting, “The generational curse has been broken.”

Soon after graduating, Shirley turned her full focus to realizing her longtime dream of having a small business to call her very own. The location she chose for her business venture was a familiar one – the GMC-Valdosta campus. In 2010, she started SAK Vending, operating a vending machine that provided frozen meals and ice cream. She soon realized the success of her small business hinged solely on that one machine and began to think bigger.

The timing of construction for a new building at GMC-Valdosta and the decision to open a food service snack bar there proved to be quite fortuitous for Shirley. She applied the business skills she’d learned at GMC to plan and propose a small business to fill the snack bar space.

JUNIOR COLLEGE ALUMNI

Hot Dog Express serves breakfast, lunch and dinner items.

In 2011, Shirley met with the proper county officials, and conducted business and menu research before presenting a wellthought-out business plan with a tentative menu to then GMCValdosta Executive Director, Leslie Hafer. Three months later, Shirley opened the Hot Dog Express inside the Student Center, serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner items. She offers more than a dozen toppings to dress a hot dog that includes her homemade chili.

“I love what I’m doing because I’m right where I want to be,”

Shirley says. She makes a point to learn her customers’ names and, as a GMC alumna, often shares some college wisdom with students. “If you’re in my line for more than two or three times, I’ll ask you ‘hey, what’s your name?’” Shirley says, adding, “I’m always going to ask about class.”

As part of the GMC-Valdosta 40th anniversary celebration in November 2019, Shirley was asked to speak. She took the opportunity to also give back to the college that has given so much to her and her children. During the celebration, Shirley presented GMC-Valdosta with a check for $1,000 to go toward a student scholarship fund awarded on a needs basis.

“Because I know what it’s like to wonder whether or not you can afford to go to school,” says Shirley, who was a single mother living on food stamps at one point during her college days.

Shirley also thanked the people at GMC-Valdosta who were there for her and believed in her during her time as a student and beyond.

“You never know what life you’re affecting,” she says, “negatively or positively.”

(opposite page) Shirley Kelly presents check for student scholarship fund to Billie Washburn, Executive Director of Valdosta campus

JC 2020

Congratulations to our class of 2020 Junior College Graduates!

graduation

This year, graduations looked a bit different all over the country.

Instead of GMC celebrating all graduates with one large ceremony, as is typically done, they hosted five smaller indoor ceremonies in July. This allowed for smaller groups for the college graduates and allow social distancing. They were able to have their families and close friends present to celebrate their incredible achievements.

GMC-COLUMBUS

NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Retired Army Maj. Gen. David Coburn has been named the new executive director of the GMCColumbus campus. The 37-year Army veteran has called the city of Columbus, Georgia, home several times before, including as a youth when his father was stationed at Fort Benning.

Coburn was 11 years old when his father retired while still at Fort Benning. Afterward, his family remained in Columbus for a number of years. Coburn is an alumnus of both Columbus High School and Columbus State University.

He graduated from CSU with a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting and was commissioned in 1982 as a Second Lieutenant in the Infantry.

He has also earned a Master of Business Administration from Syracuse University and a Master’s Degree in Resourcing National Strategy from the Industrial College of Armed Forces.

From 1985 to 1990, Coburn returned to Columbus when he was stationed at Fort Benning as a Ranger Instructor and Airborne Company Commander. His final assignment was serving as Commanding General for the U.S. Army Financial Management Command in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Coburn and his wife, Denise, have been married for 32 years and have raised two daughters.

Maj. Gen. David Coburn USA (Ret)

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CORPS OF CADETS

SERVICE ACADEMY PREP PROGRAM EXPANDS The GMC Corps of Cadets welcomed two additions to its Service Academy Preparatory Program in August 2019 – the U.S. Naval Academy and the U.S. Air Force Academy – along with a record number of 45 Academy Scholars. The two new service academies joined the U.S. Military Academy and U.S. Coast Guard Academy preparatory programs already established and successful at the GMC-Milledgeville campus.

“We know the quality of education. We know the training and leadership and all the ideals at GMC meld so well with what we accomplish at the Naval Academy,” USNA Foundation Chairman of the Athletic and Scholarship Program and retired Navy Rear Admiral, Thomas Lynch, says.

In addition to having the largest number of Academy Scholars in the history of GMC, the Corps of Cadets ended the 2019-2020 academic year with a record number of 42 out of 45 Scholars who received an appointment from one or more of the five Service Academies, which includes Zachary Steiner, the first-ever GMC self-prep cadet—or any GMC cadet— to be accepted to the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.

“We’ve got great representation now at four of the five academies,” says GMC Corps of Cadets Operations Officer, LTC Duane Clayton, who expects those numbers to grow in the future.

The GMC Corps of Cadets Service Academy Preparatory Program is an affiliated prep school that prepares candidates in the academics, physical training, character development, and leadership skills needed for them to succeed at any of the military service academies.

Instead of the typical 12 to 15 quarter hours required per term, Academy Scholars take between 18 and 24 quarter hours per term at GMC in a rigorous program of study that is heavily focused in mathematics and science. They also endure a daily schedule of physical training and spend hours each term helping others through community service.

CORPS OF CADETS 2019-2020 Academy Scholars Who Received an Appointment: U.S. Coast Guard Academy Cadet Sarah Choe Cadet Davis Daughtry Cadet Robert DeLillo Cadet Annabella Figueroa Cadet Christopher Flynn Cadet Avery Humphrey Cadet Jon Hutson Cadet Rhyan Lough Cadet Alexander Mathes Cadet Amanda Nasti Cadet Elina Nelson Cadet Alea Oliphant Cadet Sidney Palinkas Cadet Lucca Possamai Cadet Wyatt Rumph Cadet Bryce Samples Cadet Andrew Schifflin Cadet Ethan Tobey Cadet Holli Welcker Cadet Cortlyn Yeargin Cadet David Zak

U.S. Military Academy Cadet Fahad Abdulrazzaq Cadet Jacob Bukowski Cadet Abigail Gash Cadet Cody Lominac (Self-Prep) Cadet Alec Mlikotin Cadet Sabrina Palma Cadet Francis Turoski Cadet Edward Wolf Cadet Brett Darling (ECP Self-Prep)

U.S. Naval Academy

Naval cadet Morgan Sheehy speaks with LtGen William Caldwell.

Cadet Riley Guetig Cadet Abigail Hershner Cadet Julian McCloud Cadet Marcus Miller Cadet Morgan Sheehy Cadet Matthew Wojtylak

U.S. Air Force Academy Cadet Kennedy Greco Cadet Daniel Lett Cadet Jamsen Mendoza Cadet Hanna Miller Cadet Liliana Glancy

U.S. Merchant Marine Academy Cadet Zachary Steiner (Self-Prep)

LtGen William Caldwell, Col. Steve Pitt, Cadet Annabella Figueroa, and Lt.Col. Duane Clayton during Scholar Certificate Ceremony.

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CORPS OF CADETS

OPERA CUM FIDELITATE ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP

141st Corps of Cadets Dining-In The 141st Corps of Cadets Dining-In provided the opportunity for cadets to dine and interact with GMC senior leadership, faculty, staff, alumni, and other guests within a formal social setting, while also having a bit of fun. The annual tradition was held in February 2020 at The Kidd Center.

The event’s honored guest and speaker was GMC alumnus Brig.

Gen. Jonathan McColumn (JC ’84). Other attending alumni included the Honorable Bobby Christine (JC ’89), U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia and State Judge Advocate for the Georgia Army National Guard.

Edwin Amerman, Cadet Adrian Butts, and Geoff Grandstaff In December 2019, Cadet Adrian Butts with the GMC Junior College Corps of Cadets became the inaugural recipient of the Opera Cum Fidelitate Scholarship, awarded to a Corps cadet who exhibits servant leadership qualities.

The scholarship was established by two GMC Junior College Corps of Cadets alumni – Edwin Amerman (JC ’90) and Geoff Grandstaff (JC ’90) – who each want to perpetually make a difference in the lives of current and future students.

Inaugural Parents Weekend The Corps of Cadets’ inaugural Parents Weekend was well-received by cadets and their families, with more than 70 parents and grandparents attending the event held in October 2019. Three days of activities kicked off with a parents-only reception with GMC President William B. Caldwell IV. The week before Parents Weekend, cadets planned, prepared, and rehearsed for the event, which included a demonstration of the GMC obstacle course, rappel tower, physical training, and a rope bridge. Cadets assisted with setting up the events and participated in a cadet panel session to help answer parents’ questions.

During the chock-full weekend, parents were able to tour the cadets’ rooms at Baugh Barracks, tour the GMC-Milledgeville campus, as well as take a historic trolley tour provided by the Milledgeville-Baldwin County Convention

& Visitors Bureau to learn more about the college town. Parents got a peek into the daily life of a GMC cadet – from first formation in the morning to the playing of "Taps" at night.

An awards ceremony held during morning formation recognized cadets who participated in extracurricular activities at GMC, such as soccer, rifle, or debate team. An award was also presented to Best Plebe Trainer of the Quarter, C/1SGT Nigel Wilmore, and to Best Plebe of the Quarter, Cadet Daisha Singletary.

By noon on the third day, cadets were released to their families to spend more than 48 hours of quality time together.

During that time, they had the opportunity to explore downtown Milledgeville and sightsee together in the surrounding areas, including the cities of Macon and Warner Robins.

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Fort Leavenworth Five Five cadets with the Georgia Military College Junior College Corps of Cadets between 2006 and 2008 became fast friends and respected peers. More than a decade later, the GMC-commissioned quintet reunited in 2019 at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, trading a historic college campus along the Oconee River for one on the Missouri River.

Alumni Matt Cerniglia (’08), Justin McBride (’07), Avery Fulp (’07), Blake Bowles (’08), and Gary Bostic (’08) have stayed in touch and strengthened their bonds over the years, even serving as groomsmen in each other’s weddings. “Our spouses and children are as close to family with each other as we are ourselves,” says Bowles, who refers to the other four men as his “commissioning brothers.”

Whenever they are able to get together at Fort Leavenworth, they often find themselves reminiscing about the time spent at GMC. “Laughing about some of the crazy memories at GMC has been some of the greatest moments while here between studying for upcoming tests,” Bostic says.

The five men attended GMC Junior College enrolled in the Corps of Cadets Army ROTC Early Commissioning Program.

They each graduated with an Associate Degree in General Studies and were commissioned as a Second Lieutenant.

They have spent the majority of the past twelve months at the Command and General Staff College on Fort Leavenworth.

“This year at CGSC is the first time we are all back together since attending GMC,” Cerniglia says.

All of the men are attending Intermediate Level Education for training before their first Field Grade assignment.

McBride is also pursuing a Master of Military Art and Science in History, and gaining an additional skill identifier as an Army historian, which would allow him to serve as a unit historian, member of a military history detachment, or as a military history instructor.

“My interest in history and its link to the military drove my decision to pursue an MMAS in history,” McBride says, later adding, “I look forward to the opportunity of educating and developing Army leaders by serving as an instructor. I also plan to

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continue a lifetime of learning by further advancing my education and teaching at the collegiate level.”

During their time as ECP cadets with the GMC Corps of Cadets, Bostic, Bowles, and Fulp were members of the Ranger Challenge team. Fulp served as Cadet Battalion Commander, Bostic served as Cadet Corps Company Commander and Regimental Commander, recommending Bowles to take his place as RC after Bostic had graduated.

The Cadence reached out to each of the five GMC alumni in spring of 2020 while they were still attending the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth to ask them the following questions about life during and after they graduated and were commissioned from the GMC Junior College Corps of Cadets.

Why did you choose to enroll in the GMC Junior College Corps of Cadets; what attracted you?

Matt Cerniglia: Prior to enrolling at GMC, I visited numerous colleges and two other junior military colleges and decided GMC was the best fit for me. The location to home was important as was the surrounding area. Milledgeville was, and still is, a wonderful city to attend for school.

GMC itself offered ECP in a smaller, more personal college setting which was also important.

Justin McBride: I had a desire to serve my country and be part of something greater than myself. I always wanted to be in the Army. An uncle attended GMC who helped influence me to join.

My uncle, Talmadge Holmes Ramsey, attended GMC from 1964-65 before he served in Vietnam. He knew that I was interested in joining the Army and becoming an officer, so he took me to visit the campus while I was in high school.

He wanted to see that I was able to get an education and live up to my potential while fulfilling my desire to serve. We learned about the benefits of the Early Commissioning Program while visiting the campus and decided that it was a great way to begin my career in the Army.

Avery Fulp: I chose to enroll at GMC because I was thoroughly impressed with the leadership. One of my fondest memories is of CSM [Steve] Stoner

knowing my name the day I arrived before I had ever met him.

Blake Bowles: After spending several years after high school working a variety of jobs in order to save enough money to attend college, I came to the decision to enlist in the military as a means to pursue a career, earn an income sufficient enough to help my family, and ultimately attend any college I could.

While researching my options for enlistment, I came across an ad online for the Early Commissioning Program at GMC, which offered a variety of appealing incentives, including an early path to commissioning, a fully paid education, free room/board, book stipend, uniform stipend, and monthly pay. The school actually was going to pay me to receive an education and career instead of the other way around. The opportunity was almost too good to be true.

Gary Bostic: I enrolled to GMC Corps of Cadet to learn how to be the best leader I could be. GMC offered the opportunity to develop the tools that I believe are critical to leadership and a pride in the process it takes to excel.

Talk about your experience attending GMC, such as your fondest memories and any extracurricular activities.

Matt Cerniglia: I would be remiss if I didn’t start with meeting my wife during my sophomore year. Twelve years together and two kids, all because we met in the Atrium one day in between classes.

Second would be the various trips the school would send the Cadet Corps on.

The trips varied from white-water rafting to

CORPSOF OFCADETS CADETS CORPS

hiking the Appalachian Trail and even a trip to UGA to hear the former secretary of state speak at a lecture series.

Justin McBride: My fondest memories are of the people I met at GMC and the situations cadets would get themselves into. I also remember the outstanding mentorship I received from people who wanted to see me be successful. I still feel the influence of how some of them continue to shape my personal and professional growth.

Avery Fulp: I enjoyed my experience at GMC. I enjoyed the character of the school.

It allowed me to grow while providing boundaries and instilling discipline. There is no doubt that I would not be where I am today without it. One of my fondest memories is my selection to serve as the 4th Battalion Cadet Battalion Commander.

It was an honor to have been selected for that position. It provided me the opportunity to start leading very early in life.

at GMC are conducting field exercises with fellow ECP cadets in Bartram Forest learning tactics and land navigation. Some other great memories of GMC are whitewater rafting trips and attending Bulldog football games. I graduated GMC as the Regimental Commander and also competed on the Ranger Challenge Team.

How did attending GMC help you personally and professionally? How does it still help you today, including at Fort Leavenworth?

Matt Cerniglia: The GMC Cadet Corps provided the structure I required to be successful in college-level courses. The inclusion of mandatory study hall along with the mentorship and guidance of your fellow cadets and faculty allowed me to get the most out of my time there. I developed excellent study practices, time management skills, and became a more disciplined student, which carried over into my career as an Army officer.

Blake Bowles: The two years I attended GMC were some of the best years I have ever had. I have many fond memories from my time in the Cadet Corps as a member of the chain of command and still laugh with several old classmates in memory of our plebe period.

Justin McBride: GMC was the first step in a lifetime of learning and a career in the Army. It provided the opportunity to learn, be part of a team, and serve my country. I continue to use the many skills I developed at GMC and improve upon them.

Gary Bostic: Some of my fondest memories

Avery Fulp: Personally, it helped to shape the man I would become. It provided me

with a stable environment to learn and grow. Professionally, it provided me an opportunity to start developing leadership skills early in life which continue to pay dividends.

Blake Bowles: I was 24 years old when I began my time at GMC. Until that point in time, I was stuck at home, working every day, trying to balance the responsibilities of helping my family with the desire to move forward and explore the world. The financial burdens and limitations associated with these competing goals were quickly leading me nowhere.

The ability to receive a college education, free of cost, while being paid, while accruing time and benefits as I trained and developed the beginning stages of my career quite literally turned my life around.

I owe everything to GMC and the men and women who guided and trained me during that time.

Gary Bostic: I believe attending GMC was instrumental to my professional and educational learning. During my time at GMC, I got to exercise my leadership skills every day and build a group of peers that to this day are still some of my best friends. Some of my most influential Army connections, even here during my time at Fort Leavenworth, have been the relationships I’ve made at GMC.

GMC Alumni Association President Tom Torrance, third from left, poses with alumni Matt Cerniglia, Blake Bowles, Gary Bostic, and Justin McBride during a recent visit to Fort Leavenworth.

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CORPS OF CADETS ALUMNI - CLASS OF 2020

FIRST U. S. M E RC H A N T M A R I N E ACADEMY APPOINTEE Zachary Steiner is the first GMC Junior College Corps of Cadets self-prep – or any GMC cadet – to receive an appointment to the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. The midshipman was also chosen to be a starting kicker on the USMMA football team.

The Kittanning, Pennsylvania, native originally enrolled at GMC in fall while completing the demanding Corps of Cadets Service Academy 2019 as a Coast Guard academy Preparation Program. scholar, but quickly switched to the “I definitely like the USMMA after the academy’s head structure they have (at football coach reached out to him GMC), he says, noting about halfway through the 2019the benefit of having PT 2020 academic year. every day with the Corps As a USMMA graduate, Steiner of Cadets at GMC. “It gets will have several options where you into a routine.” he goes next. He can either enter A last-minute inquiry active duty in any one of the five sent to U.S. Rep. Glenn military branches or begin a career Thompson from Steiner’s in the maritime industry. “That home district back in just kind of stood out to me, I can Pennsylvania garnered Zachary Steiner, No. 84, poses with GMC Bulldogs teammates. choose what I want to do” says Steiner a nomination to Steiner, who currently still plans to the USMMA. He then serve as an officer in the U.S. Coast received his appointment Guard. in February 2020 to Steiner grew up in a town attend the academy. located along the Alleghany River.

Steiner has chosen Spending time on the river was a Maritime Logistics and large part of his childhood. Before Security as his major Steiner was born, his father served course of study at the six years in the U.S. Navy. It’s no USMMA. surprise, then, that Steiner has Among the highlights chosen to pursue a career in a of being in the GMC maritime branch of the military.

Corps of Cadets are His years spent playing “definitely the friendships soccer as a youth were the start of I’ve made,” Steiner says.

Steiner’s high school and college The USMMA is located football experience as a kicker. He in Kings Point, New York, was a walk-on player for the GMC less than 90 minutes football team during the 2019 from the U.S. Military season, serving as backup kicker Academy at West Point, for the Bulldogs. He will be playing where a number of those NCAA Division III football at friends will attend. Steiner USMMA. plans to stay in contact Steiner made the Dean’s List and to visit with them during both terms he attended during their time spent in the GMC-Milledgeville campus the Empire State.

Zachary Steiner with appointment certificate for the USMMA.

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NewsBriefs

CORPS OF CADETS

Glee Club Record Year The Glee Club at the GMC-Milledgeville campus had a record number of 22 members at the start of the 2019-2020 academic year. The members were selected following two days of auditions with a total of 170 cadets choosing to tryout.

The Junior College fine arts Glee Club performs at the Goldstein Center for the extracurricular club is open exclusively to Performing Arts. male cadets with the Corps of Cadets at concerts at the Goldstein Center for the the GMC-Milledgeville campus. Members Performing Arts, including their annual Winter must maintain a 2.5 or higher GPA and meet Concert when they performed several songs other requirements to stay active with the with the GMC-Milledgeville Junior College group throughout the academic year.

Chorus, another fine arts extracurricular group.

During the fall and winter terms, the For the group’s annual three-day trip to the Glee Club performed several times on the Great White Way in New York City, the Glee Milledgeville campus and in the community, Club had the chance to attend a workshop led including singing “The Star-Spangled Banner”

by Sean Montgomery with the Tony Awardat Georgia’s Run for the Fallen and at the Will nominated musical “Beetlejuice.” They learned Robinson Memorial Run, as well as performing the music and movements to the song “That at the President’s Gala.

Beautiful Sound.” Later that same day, Glee The Glee Club also performed two Club members were able to see Montgomery perform in the musical live in a Broadway performance.

“Our cadets were so enthusiastic to see him on stage, and hear the same song that they’ve learned,” says Moona Yu, Glee Club director, music professor, and Humanities chairwoman. “Our cadets even went to the stage door GMC Glee Club members attend workshop during annual to see Sean Montgomery after the three-day trip to New York City. show was over.”

State Service Scholarship Program GMC Corps of Cadets reached a milestone during the 2019-2020 academic year, contracting the maximum number of 42 cadets in the State Service Scholarship Program by the end of the Spring 2020 term. A record number of around 18 State Service cadets is projected to earn their commission with the Georgia National Guard in 2021.

The State Service Scholarship Program offers a full scholarship to Georgia residents who attend classes on the GMC-Milledgeville campus full time while also serving part time in the Georgia Air or Army National Guard. Cadets are selected based on academics and potential as a future leader serving in the Georgia National Guard.

‘Return with Honor’ — Not Just a Motto Three words can make all the difference in attitude, success, conduct, and discipline. For cadets and alumni of the GMC Junior College Corps of Cadets, the motto – “Return with Honor” – has become a powerful and poignant trio of words to live by and to give by.

The motto was introduced by Corps of Cadets Commandant Col. Steve Pitt in early 2019. “Honor is so important in everything we do in life,” Pitt says.

“Whether it’s for 5 minutes, 2 hours, 2 days, or 20 years … the goal in life is to return back to GMC as an honorable person.”

When cadets head out of Baugh Barracks, one of the last things they see are the words —“Return with Honor”— placed above the front doors. It’s a regular reminder for them to stay

true to the values, integrity, and character instilled in each GMC cadet, qualities that can be carried forward into their everyday lives, as well as their military and professional careers with honor.

Those three words are also reinforced each time a cadet greets a senior officer. The cadet salutes and states, “Character above all, sir.” To which the officer replies, “Return with honor.”

Those words encourage cadets to stand in truth, report unethical behavior, and to help those in need.

“They’re more in tune to do the right thing,” Pitt says.

No matter where they go on campus, in the community, or in the future, each cadet has the ability to represent the GMC Corps of Cadets with honor. Starting with the 141st Corps of Cadets, adhering to the phrase "return with honor" will become a permanent part of who they are.

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performing Arts

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P E R F O R M A N C E S

GMC Junior College

Fall Chorus Concert October 2019

GMC Prep School Theatre

"Mamma Mia!" October 2019

GMC Prep Holiday Fine Arts Gala

"Holiday Magic: The Perfect Gift" December 2019

Atlanta Pops Orchestra with Chloe Agnew December 2019

To find out more about upcoming performances or to purchase tickets, go to:

GMC Junior College

Glee Club Concert January 2020

gmctickets.booktix.com

GMC JC Fine Arts Plays

"The Importance of Being Earnest" January 2020

GMC Prep Middle School Theatre

Guest Artist Series

"Disney’s Frozen Jr."

"A Night of Chamber Music"

January 2020

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82nd Airborne Division “All-American” Chorus March 2020

" T H E I M P O RTA N C E O F B E I N G E A R N E ST " -

GMC JC Fine Arts Plays

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behere.

A LU M N I W E E K E N D 2019

60s reunion

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35-year reunion - Class of 1984

GMC alumni and friends gathered for their annual Alumni Weekend 2019, held Oct. 18-19, and honored eight esteemed individuals with the Georgia Military College Alumni Awards. “These

prestigious awards recognize those whose exemplary service and notable success are an inspiration to others,” explained Lieutenant General William B. Caldwell IV, GMC President. “These

honorees truly serve as role models, representing the character and dedication to excellence that’s made a difference in the lives of others. GMC is deeply proud to call them our own.”

Distinguished Alumnus Award

Alumni Achievement Award

THE HONORABLE HENRY CRAIG

DR. JOHN WOOD

Honorary Alumna Award

The Distinguished Alumnus Award is given to an alumnus of GMC who has distinguished him/ herself in their profession in an outstanding manner, and in so doing has brought honor upon themselves and to GMC. This award is presented for service to humanity and dedication, which have fostered the ideals of GMC.

The Alumni Achievement Award is given to an alumnus who by deed or action, reflects and recognizes the importance of their education at GMC and exemplifies its Core Values of “Duty, Honor, Country” in their personal and professional lives.This Alumnus’ interest and loyalty are evident to GMC through their contributions of time, talents and/or John Wood philanthropic support to one or more programs HS 1996 benefitting GMC and/or the GMCAA.

The Honorary Alumna Award is awarded to individuals who are not alumni of Georgia Military College, but who have provided special or exceptional service to the school or to its Alumni Association, and who, by virtue of their service, are worthy of the designation of GMC Alumnus and all that the designation entails.

Dr. Wood grew up in Wilkinson County and joined the GMC family as a 10th grader at the Prep School. He graduated in 1996 and went on to complete his undergraduate degree from Georgia College and State University, where he also worked the night shift as a dispatcher for the Gordon Police Department between classes. He then attended medical school at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta where he graduated with honors.

Dr. Wood distinguished himself early in his career in the field of medicine. Upon graduating from medical school, Dr. Wood completed his residency at Palmetto Health Richmond in Columbia, SC. During a particularly difficult emergency room rotation, he found his calling for emergency medicine and the calm leadership and expertise that make him successful. He has since committed his life to emergency medicine and has made a significant impact on the lives of his patients and medical personnel. He has been an Emergency Care Physician since 2007, and has served as the Chairman and Director of Emergency Medicine at Navicent Health since 2016. His hard work and excellent leadership earned him the honor of being named the Apollo MD Medical Director of the Year for 2018. In addition, Dr. Wood serves as an Associate Professor of Medicine for Mercer Medical School and is a Georgia Physician Leadership Academy Fellow from the Medical Association of Georgia. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Georgia College of Emergency Physicians where he meets with state representatives about issues in emergency medicine.

Extending his commitment beyond his patients, Dr. Wood also serves as a volunteer in his community and at GMC. He gives of his time and expertise as an assistant coach for the GMC Prep School Raiders as well as serving as the on-call team doctor. He is also an Assistant Scout Master for Boy Scout Troop 119 in Gray, GA. Dr. Wood, his wife, Amanda (who is also the Bulldog Club secretary), and their three children reside in Haddock, GA. Their children, Lee, Lana, and Sofia have followed in their father’s footsteps and currently attend GMC Prep School.

Georgia Military College has been a part of Mrs. Echols’ family life since she was a child, and loyalty to the beloved institution was instilled in her at a young age. Her father, two brothers, uncles and cousins were all GMC cadets and her mother, Mrs. Bettie Farr, was the GMC Latin teacher for many years. It was in the GMC Canteen at age 12 that Polly first met her husband, Dr. George Echols, a Distinguished Alumnus of GMC, whom she later married after graduating from college. The GMC legacy that runs deep in her family is evident in the pride and patriotism that Mrs. Echols exudes. She is one of GMC’s strongest supporters and believes wholeheartedly in the school’s philosophy of character-education.

After raising four children and supporting her husband as he established a thriving medical career, Mrs. Echols and her husband, Dr. George Echols, moved back to Milledgeville in 1991. She has called it home since and has continued her dedication to GMC as well as her financial support. She and her late husband dedicated a classroom to her mother, Mrs. Farr, and also established the Bettie Zachary Farr Endowed Scholarship to provide financial assistance to a rising GMC Preparatory student. Their son, Lee Echols, has continued the Echols family tradition of supporting GMC students by establishing the Dr. George L. Echols Endowed Scholarship in his father’s name in 2015. In addition, Mrs. Echols was a member of the original Performing Arts Committee at GMC. Supporting GMC has been a lifelong passion for Mrs. Echols. It is a special place to her and her family, where many of her family members received the education that helped shape the outstanding people they are today. It is also the place where she has formed priceless friendships with like-minded supporters. Her unwavering commitment has made a lasting impact on GMC that will be felt for many years to come.

Mrs. Echols resides in Milledgeville and has four children, Lee Echols, Ellen Purdum, Martha Mixon, and Erin Pervis, and many beloved grandchildren.

2019 ALUMNI AWARD RECIPIENTS

Henry Craig HS 1965, JC 1967 Mr. Craig attended GMC High School beginning in 1961 and graduating in 1965. He then went on to earn his associates degree from GMC Junior College, graduating in 1967. He was a Ranger graduate and a Leadership Academy graduate, as well as the yearbook editor in 1967.

Upon graduation from GMC, Mr. Craig was commissioned as an Armored Cavalry Officer and went on to serve in the Army from 1968 to 1988. Mr. Craig served in the Vietnam War in 1972, flying an electronic warfare aircraft, where he totaled 360 combat hours. He served in Europe as an electronic Warfare Officer, as well as several assignments across the United States. He received multiple awards and decorations before retiring at the rank of Major in 1988. Mr. Craig then went on to be a pilot and pilot instructor for Continental Airlines from 1988 to 2008. He retired as Assistant Chief Pilot for B757/B767 Domestic and International Operations.

In 2012, Mr. Craig was elected as Baldwin County Commissioner and currently serves as Vice Chairman. He was selected as a Member of the Board of Managers for the Association of County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG) and has since been appointed to the Executive Committee of ACCG and appointed as Chairman of the Mental Health Committee of ACCG. Mr. Craig was the recipient of the ACCG Leadership Award in 2016 and the ACCG Legislative Leadership Advocacy Award in 2019. He was also the recipient of the “Larry Huggins” Award from the Georgia Brain and Spinal Injury Trust Fund Commission and was featured in Georgia Trend Magazine in May of 2019 as “One of Six County Commissioners Who Make Lives Better.”

As County Commissioner, Mr. Craig has made great strides for a cause he is passionate about, providing proper care for the mentally ill. From 2011 to 2017, Mr. Craig was appointed to the Georgia Traumatic Brain and Spinal Injury Trust Fund Commission first by Governor Perdue and then

by Governor Deal. Then in 2017, he was appointed to the Rural Hospital Stabilization Committee. His past community engagements include his involvement in the Fall Line Freeway Developmental Authority and the Keep Milledgeville & Baldwin County Beautiful Affiliate. He is currently making an instrumental impact with his involvement as County Commissioner on multiple committees with particular focus on mental health in the local community. Mr. Craig’s commitment of selfless service to both his country and his community are immeasurable. His leadership in both capacities have made and will continue to make a lasting difference in the community.

Mr. Craig’s commitment to this community and his family are evident in his passionate support of the GMC William Craig Scholarship in his brother’s memory. His leadership in the annual Pheasant Shoot and his advocacy for this family scholarship is tremendous. This reflects his lifelong passion for making a difference in the lives of others and his deep desire to see his brother’s legacy at GMC continue into the future.

This is truly an endeavor of honor and reflects his character and commitment. Mr. Craig and his wife, Celia, who are both lifelong residents of Milledgeville, have two children, Katrina and Jay, and four grandchildren, Emily, Alyssa, Erin and Craig.

MRS. POLLY ECHOLS

Polly Echols

1 2020 TOGETHER AGAIN.

See you for Alumni Weekend - OCTOBER 2021

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Emerging Young Alumni Leader Award THE HONORABLE TREVOR ADDISON

2019 ALUMNI AWARD RECIPIENTS

The Emerging Young Alumni Leader Award is given to an alumnus of GMC who has graduated within the past 10 years, is no more than 35 years of age, and has accomplished one or more of the following: Has demonstrated continuous support of the Alumni Association and GMC through contributions of time and/or gifts; Has made outstanding contributions to a chosen profession; Has achieved in such a way that has brought great honor to the individual and the College; Has demonstrated service and a commitment to the community; Has fostered the ideals, goals and values of GMC.

Trevor Addison JC 2011

As a student, valued employee, and public servant, Mr. Addison has given tirelessly of himself to both GMC and the local community. Graduating from GMC in June 2011 with an Associate Degree in Business Administration, Mr. Addison came back to his alma mater two years later as a Financial Aid Assistant. Upon graduating with a BBA in Economics from Liberty University, he was promoted to Financial Aid Counselor in 2014. In 2018, he was then promoted to Assistant Director of Financial Aid and in July 2019, became Deputy Director of Financial Aid. In 2015, Mr. Addison was presented with GMC’s Customer Service Excellence Award. Soon after in 2016, at the age of 26, he was elected as Georgia’s youngest county commissioner and is currently serving as Putnam County’s Vice Chairman and District 4 Commissioner in his second term. After being elected, he earned his County Commissioner Certification from the University of Georgia in 2017 and was concurrently appointed to the Republican Leadership of Georgia program. This invitation-only program is based on the vision of the late Senator Paul Coverdell and is designed to fill the ranks of Georgia’s Republicans with trained leaders.

In 2019, he was selected as the GMC Resource Management Employee of the Year. He also represented GMC at our State Capital regarding higher education policy and bills taken up by the House of Representatives and the Senate. Additionally, Mr. Addison is a member of the Georgia Association of College Financial Aid Administrators and the National Association of College Financial Aid Administrators, where he holds eleven financial aid credentials.

Mr. Addison’s commitment to his community is ceaseless as he continues to serve local organizations in various capacities. He currently serves on the steering committee of the Putnam County Republican Party and as a board member on the Sinclair Water Authority, TenderCare Clinic and Central Georgia Joint Development Authority. He also previously served on the Board of the Eatonton Elks Lodge, a nonprofit that devotes its time to serving United States Military Veterans and elementary school children.

Mr. Addison and his wife, Pelar, reside in Eatonton.

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GMC Service Award

Community Service Award

LTC GRADY TORRANCE (RET)

MR. LYN CHANDLER

The GMC Service Award is designated for alumni or friends of GMC who have rendered special service to the school, or any of its ancillary organizations.

All nominees should show evidence of service and loyalty to GMC and their community organizations and activities. This award is the highest recognition and greatest expression of appreciation extended to an individual by the GMCAA, given for outstanding service and volunteerism.

The Community Service Award is given to GMC Alumni who, through leadership, inspiration, teamwork, or hard work in the spirit of volunteerism or in their professed activities, have taken the lessons of GMC’s Character Education beyond the classroom and whose actions are characterized by a history of exemplary service resulting in unquestionable improvements within their community.

Grady Torrance HS 1950, JC 1951

Lyn Chandler HS 1963, JC 1966

Mr. Torrance and his family have a long history of commitment and loyalty to GMC. Mr. Torrance started at GMC in the 8th grade in the fall of 1945. He graduated from GMC Prep School in 1950 and went on to attend the Junior College. His father attended GMC from about 1926 to 1928. His older brother, Larry, graduated from GMC, and sons, Tom, Andy, Steve, and daughter, Molly, all graduated from GMC. Crediting GMC as giving him the foundation to succeed, Mr. Torrance went on to graduate from the University of Georgia. He was then commissioned as an officer in the Army in 1954, serving 25.5 years active duty while being stationed in Germany and Austria. He served 25.5 years in the Reserves and National Guard, also graduating from Basic and Advanced Infantry School and Command and General Staff College, as well as the Industrial College of Armed Forces. He retired at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

Mr. Torrance has selflessly served this community and institution in several capacities for many years. He proudly served as a county agent in the area for 10 years. He went on to become a beloved teacher of economics at GMC for 10 years and Georgia College for an additional 10 years. He served on the original Executive Board of John Milledge Academy during its formation.

In addition, Mr. Torrance served as a Baldwin County Commissioner for 8 years, on the hospital board for 5 years, and on the Housing Authority Board for 5 years.

He has also faithfully helped to support the Torrance Family Endowed Scholarship at GMC. Giving his time and devotion to his community and church has always been important to Mr. Torrance. He has taught Sunday school for over 50 years and has been a deacon at First Baptist and then Community Baptist Church, both of Milledgeville. He has been a member of Kiwanis since 1978, and also supported many community prospects and charities, including the 4-H Advisory Board and Leadership Baldwin classes.

Always present with a smile to support GMC, Mr. Torrance embodies the characteristics at the very foundation of this institution. His enthusiasm for his beloved GMC and community is contagious and influential to all who have the good fortune of knowing him.

Grady and Frances Torrance reside in Milledgeville and have four children and many beloved grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Mr. Chandler’s commitment to his community is an exceptional example of the character qualities GMC represents.

He graduated from GMC Prep School in 1963 and GMC Junior College in 1966. He then attended Georgia College, graduating in 1975 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business and in 1979 with a Master’s Degree in Business Administration. He worked in industry until 1983 when he began his career in education at Baldwin High School. Mr. Chandler then went on to earn a degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Georgia in 1994. After serving as a classroom teacher, vocational director, assistant principal and principal, Mr. Chandler retired in 2009. One of the many highlights of his career includes establishing an NJROTC unit at Baldwin High School, which continues to be successful today.

Since retiring, Mr. Chandler has continued to work actively as a community volunteer in Milledgeville and Baldwin County giving endlessly of his time and talents.

He currently serves on the Baldwin County Board of Education, District 3. He serves or has served as the following: Chamber of Commerce Partner’s in Education Program Chairman; Family Treatment Court Advisory Board member; Georgia’s Old Capital Heritage Center Advisory Board member; past Commissioner Milledgeville Housing Authority Board member; Founding Board member and past chair of Communities in Schools Milledgeville-Baldwin County; past chair Milledgeville Baldwin County Chamber of Commerce Board; Big Brothers/Sister mentor; Habitat for Humanity Board member; and United Way Local Advisory Board member.

Mr. Chandler was recently honored for his community service by receiving the Jefferson Award. In 2014, he received the Floyd Harrington Leadership Award in appreciation for extraordinary contributions and leadership on behalf of the Milledgeville-Baldwin County Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Chandler is a Paul Harris Fellow as well as the past president of Milledgeville Rotary. He received the Presidential Citation Award for outstanding leadership and dedication to the ideals of Rotary in 2016-2017.

Mr. Chandler and his wife, Kathy, reside in Milledgeville.

They have two children and four grandchildren. The Chandler family has a long legacy at GMC, as his son and daughter are third-generation graduates of GMC Prep School.

Military Service Award

CPT KRISTOPHER FARRAR The Military Service Award is given to an alumnus who participated in the Corps of Cadets-Active Duty, Reserve, Guard or Veteran (honorable discharge required) and a member in good standing of the GMCAA at the time they are nominated for the award. The recipient is selected for rendering unusual and conspicuous service in an act of humanity, heroic effort/action in battle, or service to the city, state, or nation, and in doing so has brought honor and distinction to GMC and its Corps of Cadets.

Alumni Fallen Hero Award

DEPUTY WILLIAM E. ROBINSON IV (01-21/69-12/17/95)

Kristopher Farrar JC 2007

CPT Farrar’s military career is exemplary as are his qualities of character and commitment. He began his journey at GMC, graduating in 2007 with an Associate Degree in Criminal Justice. He was a State Service Scholarship recipient as he served in the Georgia National Guard as a Black Hawk mechanic at Dobbins Air Force Base in Marietta, Georgia.

While at GMC, he was a runner-up for the Georgia National Guard Soldier of the Year for 2017. He served as the Student Government President, Editor of the Old Capital News, and President of the Honor Council. He also rose through the Cadet Corps ranks to Regimental Command Sergeant Major and earned the Order of the Centurion and the Servant Leader Award.

CPT Farrar commissioned through Reserve Officer Training Corps with a follow-on assignment to the 3rd Battalion, 69th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division where he deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom as a Rifle Platoon Leader. He served as the Executive Officer for Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion, 58th Infantry Training Brigade and then as Commander of Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division. He recently returned from deployment to Afghanistan with the 1st Security Forces Assistance Brigade where he is currently a Team Leader. Captain Farrar’s military awards and decorations include the Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal 2 OLC, Army Achievement Medal 1 OLC, National Defense Service Medal, Afghan Campaign Medal 1 CS, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Noncommissioned Officer Developmental Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, NATO Medal, Meritorious Unit Award, Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge, Pathfinder Badge, Air Crewman’s Badge, Expert Infantryman Badge, and Ranger Tab. His military education also includes the Infantry Basic Officer Leader Course and the Maneuver Captain's Career Course.

While attending GMC, CPT Farrar volunteered with the Solicitor General of Baldwin County. He currently devotes his time outside of work to serving his church and helping to facilitate outreach into the community. At Epworth United Methodist Church in Columbus, GA, CPT Farrar has served in the roles of Youth Leader and Young Adult Ministry Leader, as well as on their Board of Trustees. He also serves as the Village Men’s Ministry Leader at Village Church in Phenix City, AL, where he works to coordinate better outreach between Fort Benning and local ministries. Most recently, he co-sponsored his church to participate in the Fort Benning New Comers Expo welcoming new Soldiers to the area.

CPT Farrar and his wife, Nicole Edwards Farrar, began dating at GMC and married after graduation. Nicole is also a 2007 graduate of GMC, Cadet Corp Regimental S5. They have three children, Kaden, Cole and Kara, and currently reside in Phenix City, AL.

The Alumni Fallen Hero Award is given to an alumnus who as a First Responder rendered unusual and conspicuous service in an act of humanity, heroic effort/ action in battle, or service to the city, state, or nation, going into harm’s way on behalf of others, and in doing so brought honor and distinction to GMC.

Will Robinson HS 1987

Even as a child, Deputy Robinson desired to dedicate his life to serving others. A spirited child full of life, he grew up in Milledgeville and attended GMC, a third-generation cadet. Both of his grandfathers, six of his uncles, one of his aunts, his two brothers, and his father all attended Georgia Military College. While at GMC, Deputy Robinson filled his time outside of the classroom with activities and sports, especially football, where he was known as “Big Number 65!”

As Deputy Robinson set out to accomplish his goals, after graduating, it became evident that he wanted to serve his community. He went on to graduate from Georgia College and State University with a Bachelor’s degree in history, and was working on a Master’s in public administration. Taking to heart the values GMC instills in its students, Deputy Robinson moved forward in his life as an example of these values: Duty, Honor, and Country. It was important to him that he make a difference in the world around him.

Serving as deputy in the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office was a dream come true for Deputy Robinson.

He considered it an honor and privilege to help keep the community he loved safe, and this was a job where he felt he was able to serve people every day. He was a true servant leader, and this also went beyond the calling of his job. In April 1995, after the Oklahoma City Bombing, Deputy Robinson, his friends, and fellow deputies traveled to Oklahoma to cook barbeque for the rescue workers at the bomb site. He understood the value of giving back and his life defined it.

On December 17, 1995, Deputy Robinson was tragically killed in the line of duty at the age of 26. His life’s purpose, to serve, lives on in the impact he made on his family, friends, and community. The evidence is in the many who come out every year to support the Will Robinson Memorial Run which benefits the GMC scholarship in his name and the C.H.A.M.P.S program of the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office. It continues to be seen in the genuine smile and words of admiration that are a given at just the mention of his name. His status of hero is indefinite, as are the lasting effects of his immeasurable example of integrity, duty, and honor.

Deputy Robinson dedicated his life to serving others and in his 26 years made a lasting impact on those who had the privilege of knowing him. His GMC family and his community are indebted to him and his family for his service and his sacrifice. His was a life that reflected true character and selflessness, and his legacy is one that will forever be honored.

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PRESIDENT’S RECEPTION Gala

The President’s Gala was held in December 2019 in the Legislative Chamber of the Old Capitol Building. This annual event recognizes and honors President’s Circle donors for their generosity and commitment to Georgia Military College.

The President’s Circle is a leadership group comprised of our most dedicated benefactors who understand the unique role GMC plays within our community. These philanthropic leaders ensure that we will be able to meet the needs of our institution and continue to make a difference in the lives of thousands of students each year.

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Ways to Give

Unrestricted When you do not restrict the use of your gift, you allow flexibility in meeting needs. These funds are managed prudently and applied where they will be most beneficial to meet a variety of current needs.

There are many ways to support Georgia Military College through the GMC Foundation.

Programs & Services Gifts may be designated to any of the wide variety of programs and services offered by Georgia Military College. Perhaps there is a particular area, such as library enrichment, technology, athletics, or an academic department in which you have an interest. Such gifts will be applied in their entirety to the area of your designation.

Gifts may be unrestricted in use, or you may specify that your gift be targeted to a particular program or purpose.

However you choose to support GMC, you will be embarking on a partnership with an institution that, through development of both the intellect and the character of its students, impacts lives in positive and lasting ways.

There are almost as many ways of giving as there are programs, projects and priorities of the College that need your support.

Special Initiatives

GIVING OPENS THE WAY FOR

RECEIVING

Florence Scovel Shinn

If you choose to, you may designate your financial assistance to any of several initiatives undertaken by the Foundation through partnering with the College’s leadership to identify special priorities for giving.

Georgia Military College Foundation 201 East Greene Street | Milledgeville, Georgia 31061 (478) 387-0230 | Fax (478) 445-2867 | alumni.gmc.edu

Endowed Gift Opportunities A gift for endowment demonstrates farsighted commitment to Georgia Military College. Endowments are permanent funds, maintained in perpetuity by the GMC Foundation, from which only a portion of the annual investment return is used for the purpose intended by the donor. The rest of the investment yield is returned to the principal. Thus, over the years, the fund can grow with the goal of keeping pace with inflation. Such endowments, which typically bear the name of the donor or donors, reflect your interests and serve as an enduring testament to your generosity.

Additional gifts may be made to the fund to increase the principal and, thereby, increase the annual investment income.

Endowments represent rewarding gift opportunities because they offer the donor the satisfaction of knowing that his or her gift will continue working for future generations.

The Basics of Establishing an Endowment • An endowed fund may be established with a contribution in the form of cash, appreciated securities or other charitable gifts such as a bequest.

• It may be established with either a single gift of $25,000 or a gift of at least $5,000 and a pledge of the remaining $20,000 over a period of up to five years.

• The fund is invested by the GMC Foundation, which serves as a steward of the endowed funds. The Foundation is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization. Contributions are tax-deductible as allowed by law.

Purposes of Endowed Funds • An endowed gift offers the opportunity for donors to have their names, or the name of a loved one, linked to an area in which they have a special interest, creating a legacy for years to come.

• A named endowment can provide an opportunity for an academic department or an athletic program to grow and excel.

• A named endowment can provide a scholarship to aid deserving students year after year.

Endowment Reporting As a donor who has established an endowment, you will receive an annual report from the GMC Foundation on the financial status of the fund, including earnings and distributions.

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CHOSEN****

all paws in give.gmc.edu

-

The GMC Family joined together on May 5, 2020 to make a difference in the lives of our students whose families had been affected financially by COVID-19.

The generosity of donors allows GMC students from the Preparatory School and our college campuses all across the state to continue their education.

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PREP SCHOOL

ATHLETICS JUNIOR BULLDOGS SPORTS PROGRAM KICKS OFF INAUGURAL YEAR

More than two-thirds of Prep School students in third, fourth, and fifth grades took part in the inaugural year of the Junior Bulldogs, participating in football, basketball, cross-country, soccer, and cheerleading.

The new elementary grade-level athletics program kicked off in fall 2019.

The football team played interscholastic home and road games, with its first contest at home against Gatewood Schools on Davenport Field in front of an enthusiastic crowd and more than 45 Junior Bulldogs cheerleaders. The team ended its first season with a winning record of 4-3.

The coed cross-country team kept moving and training throughout the season

preparing for the 2019 Will Robinson Memorial Run. The majority of team members participated in the 5K or Fun Run held at the annual GMC scholarship fundraiser, taking home an event T-shirt to wear with Bulldog pride.

The intramural boys and girls basketball teams played their first games in front of a jam-packed crowd at The Kidd Center.

The teams also played at the GMC Activity Center. Players had fun while learning about a new sport and working to sharpen their ball-handling skills.

The intramural soccer boys and girls teams were able to get in practice sessions but no games before the season ended due

2019-2020 Team: (Front row) Corrinne Rudolph (8th), Gracie McDade (8th), Neela Lamar (7th) Ella Mathews (6th) (Back row) Coach Kate McGhee, Kadi Jump (8th), Emily Adside (6th), Aniy Hill (7th), Ansley Brooks (8th), Nickole Rudolph (8th), Coach Jennifer Deason (Not pictured) Hannah Garner (7th) and Coach Bailey Smith.

Middle School Undefeated The middle school girls basketball team finished the 2019-2020 regular season undefeated, 10-0, and went on to clinch the championship in Macon as the No. 1 seeded team. The girls soundly defeated Tattnall Square Academy 42-17 in the championship game.

The team consisted of sixth, seventh, and eighth graders and is coached by

Jennifer Deason, Kate McGhee, and Bailey Smith. “I was proud of all the girls.

It was a big team effort,” Deason says, noting that the Prep middle school girls basketball team was also undefeated in the 2018-2019 regular season.

Deason credited the girls’ strong work ethic that included giving their all during 90-minute practice sessions held four days a week. “The girls are a hard-working group,” she says.

to precautions surrounding the coronavirus pandemic. More than 70 elementary grade students had registered for the spring sport.

Junior Bulldogs was established to provide Prep School students in elementary grades with team-based physical activities that teach them how to play a sport, as well as sportsmanship and ethics.

Parents helped fill the majority of volunteer coaching positions on the teams.

GMC Prep and Junior College staff and faculty members also pitched in. High school varsity cheerleaders gave pointers to the Junior Bulldogs cheerleaders. And high school coaches were on hand to watch practices and competitions of their potential future athletes.

“We had a great response as far as parents and others wanting to reach out,” says Elementary Athletics Director and 8th grade teacher, Scott Seagraves, noting that a Georgia College student was on board to coach one of the soccer teams. “More than anything else, all of our kids walked away knowing that people cared about them and cared enough to want to spend time with them.”

GMC PREP School chosen to receive the GHSA 2019-20

Sportsmanship Award 2020

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ATHLETICS

Mixed Raider State Champions The Prep School Mixed Raider Red Team bested 27 teams in the 2019 Georgia JROTC State Raider Championship to capture the school’s fourth consecutive state title. The Red Team swept all five events, taking first place in the team run, rope bridge, cross-country rescue, raider fitness test, and tire flip to come out on top at the championship event held at Spalding High School in Griffin in October 2019. All three GMC Prep Raider teams advanced to the National Raider meet. State championship rings were received and given to Mixed Raider Red Team members in January 2020. The “Drive for Five” is on for 2020.

Team members include: Hudson Caldwell, Gavin Cantrell, Emily Jackson, Cole Rogers, Jacob Steele, DeAisha Stephens, Chris Trussell, Justin Wallace, Belle Warren, Corey Brookins, Devon Harper, Madison Whitlock and Cameron Moody.

Record Year for Athletic Auction and Casino Night Thanks to those who purchased a ticket, as well as donors, sponsors, and supporters of the annual fundraiser, the 12th annual GMC Prep School Athletic Auction and Casino Night netted a record of more than $41,000.

Proceeds go toward supporting all Prep School athletics and fine arts programs. The event was held inside the Kidd Center in March 2020.

Auction items included golf packages, beach condo getaways, concert tickets, and gift baskets.

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JUNIOR COLLEGE

ATHLETICS

1st Brigade Ranger Challenge Win The 1st Brigade Ranger Challenge is an Army ROTC varsity sport that tests the physical and mental mettle of cadets through 51 hours of competition filled with a variety of back-to-back rigorous events. GMC Corps cadets did well in a number of the events, including the obstacle course, hand grenade assault course, M9 pistol shoot, and stress shoot with assault rifle marksmanship.

Cadet Shundrenna Harris navigates an obstacle during the 1st Brigade Ranger Challenge at Fort Knox.

Lindsay Grant, US Army Cadet Command

Catrina Dubiansky, US Army Cadet Command

The GMC Corps of Cadets Ranger Challenge Team worked together to win top Military Junior College honors in the 1st Brigade Ranger Challenge held in October 2019 at Fort Knox, Kentucky.

The three-day competition included a total of 19 teams from senior and junior military colleges, as well as four-year universities. The GMC Corps of Cadets team placed first out of the eight military junior college teams that competed.

The victorious Georgia Military College Ranger Challenge Team poses with the Commander’s Cup after finishing as the Top Military Junior College Team at the 1st Brigade Ranger Challenge.

2019-2020 NJCAA All-Academic Awards More than a dozen GMC Junior College student-athletes were among those named 2019-2020 NJCAA All- Academic honorees. GMC had student-athletes from four teams – women’s soccer, softball, women’s cross-country, and men’s soccer– to be named to an NJCAA All-Academic Team, including one First Team,

G M C

TORENIO DAVIS Football

2 0 1 9

N J C A A

three Second Team, and thirteen Third Team honorees.

Student-athletes named to the NJCAA All-Academic First Team have earned a 4.0 GPA for the academic year, Second Team 3.80-3.99 GPA, and Third Team 3.60-3.79 GPA.

A L L - A M E R I C A N S

TREVOR REID

YAYA DIABY

JUAN DAVID HERRERA

ANNAH NORMAN

Football

Football

Soccer

Soccer

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CLASS OF 2020 - JUNIOR COLLEGE

ATHLETICS

Yaya Diaby, No.98, stands on the sideline during a game.

Yaya Diaby:

Building Character and Fulfilling Division I Dreams After graduating from high school, Yaya Diaby (JC ’20) decided to take a year to ponder his dream of playing Division I college football with hopes of one day being drafted by an NFL team. At that time, he wasn’t completely sure he wanted to attend college. It made sense to take time to figure it all out.

As the months went by, Diaby’s family began to wonder about the likelihood of his football dream becoming a reality. They did, however, stress the importance of him getting a college education. And just when Diaby was about to give up on his football dream, a high school friend introduced him to Georgia Military College.

The two young men, former football teammates at North Clayton High School in College Park, Georgia, both participated in the GMC Junior College football combine in June 2018 vying for a spot on the team. “It was the perfect opportunity for us to play football together again,” says Diaby, who was initially placed on the Bulldogs football team as a grayshirt walk-on player.

During the summer football tryout event, Diaby, a 6-foot, 4-inch defensive end from Riverdale, Georgia, who has played football since sixth grade, displayed “natural skills as a pass rusher” and “had a really good burst out of his stance,” recalls GMC Athletic Director and Head Football Coach, Bert Williams. But at 205 pounds, Diaby needed time to gain weight and to sharpen his skills before taking the field with the Bulldogs.

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“I gained a little bit and started working extra hard,” says Diaby, who quickly added 15 pounds to his lofty frame simply by eating more food. He spent time practicing with the football team, as well as working out with the team and solo. As a result, grayshirt status was brief for Diaby. By the second game of the 2018 season, he received a scholarship and was able to play NJCAA football.

While the GMC Junior College football program’s coaches, training, and practice sessions helped Diaby on a physical level, the discipline and structure of living in Baugh

Yaya Diaby (JC '20)

Barracks during his freshman year as part of the Corps of Cadets Cadet Athletes Program helped whip him into shape on a mental level.

Both GMC programs, Diaby says, helped build his character.

“It tests a lot of people being in there,” Diaby says regarding college life as a resident in Baugh Barracks, where every waking moment revolves around a strict schedule and a set list of daily activities. “It tests you mentally, because they have you do so many things. …

That’s another beauty about going here.”

By the time four-year universities began courting Diaby during his sophomore year, he weighed in at 255-plus pounds and was named 2019 NJCAA First Team Football All-American Defense. Diaby ended the 2019 season with a team-high 58 tackles, including 45 solo tackles.

Diaby received offers from more than a dozen universities, including Florida State University and South Carolina, before choosing University of Louisville, where he’ll have the chance to go head to head with players from college football powerhouses such as Notre Dame and Clemson. GMC teammates and fellow alumni Trevor Reid and Marvin Dallas join Diaby on the Louisville Cardinals football team roster.

“For me, as a person, I don’t like to settle.

I’m never satisfied. I feel like I can always improve on anything,” Diaby says. “At Louisville, I’m going to still be pushed, but going here [to GMC], I learned how to handle that.”

JUNIOR COLLEGE

ATHLETICS

Two Coaches Reach Career-Win Milestones Head softball coach Ashley Bunn and head football coach Bert Williams each reached milestone wins during the 20192020 academic year. Bunn recorded her 300th win and Williams his 150th victory.

The Lady Bulldogs softball team overcame a 6-run deficit against Spartanburg Methodist in February 2020 to clinch the 300th win for Bunn. “This is a tribute to the players we have had in the program and the direction we are headed,” she says.

With Bunn as their skipper, the Lady Bulldogs won the JC Head Softball Coach Ashley Bunn GCAA Region 17 Softball Championship in two consecutive seasons, 2015-2016 and 2016-2017. The GMC softball team advanced to the 2016 and 2017 NJCAA Division I Softball Championship tourneys. Bunn was named 2018 and 2019 GCAA Coach of the Year.

The Bulldogs football team was preseason ranked in the 2019 NJCAA Top 20.

GMC kicked off the regular season at home in September with a win over another Top 20 team, Navarro College, soundly handing Williams his 150th career win.

“I’m proud of this recognition, because it sheds a light on the work of many who have contributed to our program,” says Williams, who is currently the second winningest active football JC Head Football Coach Bert coach in the NJCAA. Williams In Williams’s second season as head coach, the Bulldogs brought home the 2001 NJCAA Football Championship trophy. He was named NJCAA Football Coach of the Year in 2001 and 2013, the year GMC went undefeated, 11-0, in regular season play. Williams was inducted into the NJCAA Football Coaches Hall of Fame in 2010.

GMC Junior College NCAA football mid-year and letter of intent signees

The Junior College 2019-2020 football team had a combination of ten mid-year and letter-of-intent NCAA signees: Cameron Brown, Savannah State; Marvin Dallas, University of Louisville; Damion Daley, Appalachian State; Braylon Peterson, Georgia Southern; Dominick Knowles, Kennesaw State; Tyrone Kelsey, Tennessee State; Keylin Roach, Marshall University; Travell “T.J.”

NJCAA All-Academic Award Honors

Jones, Tusculum University; NJCAA All-American Trevor Reid, University of Louisville; and NJCAA All-American Yaya Diaby, University of

Louisville.

Since the GMC Bulldogs football program began, 572 student-athletes have received NCAA or NAIA scholarships; 49 have gone on to play in the NFL.

JC freshman softball outfielder Autumn Land earned 2019-2020 NJCAA First Team All-Academic honors with a 4.0 GPA.

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ClassNotes

1989

Congratulations to GMC Alumnus Bobby Christine (JC ’89), United States Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia, on his promotion to Brigadier General in the U.S. Army National Guard. Christine graduated from GMC’s 110th Corps of Cadets in 1989 as co-Valedictorian of his class, as well as a Distinguished Military Graduate.

Hall Pennington on September 22, 2018. Colby is the son of Neal Pennington and Hope Andrews Pennington (HS’85). He and Mary Beth met working at the Milledgeville Chick-fil-A where he spent many years working during his time at GMC. The couple married in the bride’s hometown of Watkinsville, and now resides in the groom’s hometown, Milledgeville. Colby works as a registered nurse and Mary Beth works in the Office of Admissions at Georgia College.

2011 BG Bobby Christine (JC ’89) and family with Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp.

The Augusta native went on to complete his undergraduate degree at the University of Georgia and earned a law degree from Samford University. He is now the Federal Prosecutor for 43 counties, with a widespread influence across the state of Georgia. Christine joined the Georgia Army National Guard in 1987 where he continues to serve today. He has been an adjunct faculty member at the GMC-Augusta campus, and is active as an alumnus supporting the institution. In 2018 during Alumni Weekend, GMC honored Christine with the Distinguished Alumnus Award.

Maj. Gen. Alex Grynkewich (HS ’89) recently returned from a year in Baghdad, Iraq, as the Deputy Commander for Operations for Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve. He helped lead over 18,000 U.S. and coalition personnel fighting ISIS in Iraq and Syria.

Grynkewich is now Director for Operations (J3) for Grynkewich (HS’89) U.S. Central Command at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida. He oversees military operations in the Middle Eastern region from Egypt to Afghanistan.

Hali Minter (HS’11) graduated from Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School in May 2020. After passing the Georgia Bar Examination, Hali will begin practicing with Kight Law Firm P.C. in Dublin, GA, working mainly in commercial and residential real estate as well as probate work. Prior to

attending law school, Hali earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia. Hali married a fellow alumnus of GMC Prep School, Charlie Staton (HS ’14), on August 1 in Milledgeville.

Hali Minter (HS ’11) and Charlie Staton (HS ’14),

2013

Matt North (JC’13), served on the front lines battling COVID-19 as a Sergeant with B Co. 3-121st working in Valdosta to assist with decontaminating in hard hit areas. North graduated from GMC as a State Service Corps of Cadets and went on to graduate from Columbus State with a BA in Middle Grade Education in 2017. He completed a tour of Afghanistan last year with the 48th IBCT. Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut, as a member of the class of 2023.

2016

Calli McMullen (HS’16) graduated from West Point on June 13, 2020 where she held 8 Academy records on the track team and served as Team Captain for two years. She will be heading to Fort Bragg for her first Calli McMullen (HS’16) duty station and will be working in communications as a member of the Signal Corps.

2017

Cleveland Hurt III (JC ’17) graduated from Georgia College and State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice. He attended the GMC-Madison campus where he received his Associate of Arts degree in 2017.

Cleveland Hurt III (JC ’17)

2018

2LT Jaylan Mobley (JC ’18) graduated in May 2020 from West Virginia University with a degree in management information systems and a minor in cybersecurity. He was a member of WVARNG’s Defensive Cyber Operations Element team and recently interned with NASA. After graduation he began the Cyber Basic Leadership Course, where he will become West Virginia’s first Army Cyber Officer.

Robert A. Izzo (JC '89) has been promoted to the rank of Battalion Chief with Orange County Fire Rescue in Orlando, FL.

2010

Colby Pennington (HS’10, JC’11) Colby Pennington (HS ’10) married Mary Beth and wife, Mary Beth.

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Matt North (JC ’13)

Jaylan Mobley (JC ’18)

Over 200 pages of historic photos, stories, and traditions documenting one of the most prolific military educational institutions in the U.S.

All proceeds benefit the GMC Milledgeville Campus Endowed Scholarship

A treasured keepsake!

: Sale

Available from the GMC Bookstore:

2

bookstore@gmc.edu or 478-387-4909

49

Reg: $ 85

$

or more: $

ea.

40

ea.

plus $10 S & H

A meaningful gift for alumni & friends!

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GUESTS AND SPEAKERS

CampusNews

PASS IN REVIEW Students, faculty and staff at Georgia Military College have been fortunate to meet and learn from the many distinguished guests during the 2019-2020 academic year.

They served an important role sharing words of wisdom with cadets, distinguished guests, and at parades.

MG Thomas M. Carden Jr. CONSTITUTION DAY PARADE September 27, 2019

The Honorable Floyd L. Griffin Jr. MLK DAY CEREMONY January 17, 2020

Inez Hawkins

MOTHER’S DAY VIRTUAL SPEECH May 8, 2020

BG (Ret.) Rick McCabe MEMORIAL DAY VIRTUAL SPEECH May 22, 2020

LEADER ENGAGEMENT SERIES FEATURES ALUMNI SPEAKERS The Georgia Military College Corps of Cadets Leader Engagement Series features alumni who selflessly return to their alma mater to share personal experiences and professional wisdom to support the Corps’ current cadets.

GMC alumnus and retired Army Lt. Col. Lawrence “L.J.” Baker Jr. (JC ’91) took time during his December 2019 speech to surprise two cadets – Chazman Murray and Alec Wilson – as the inaugural recipients of the Old Capitol Guard Drill Team Commander’s Lucy Pitts (JC ’18) speaks to cadets during the Leader Engagement Series.

Scholarship, established by L.J. Baker and his wife, Clarinda “C.J.” Baker.

Other Series speakers included: GMC alumni Leader Engagement Series speakers and their Col. (P) Andrew C. Hilmes, director of Army Safety and comspeech topics during the 2019-2020 academic year included: mander, Fort Rucker; Silver Star medal recipient – “Importance 2nd Lt. Lucy Pitts (JC ’18), Norwich University cadet and nursof Leaders of Integrity” ing major – “Focus at GMC” Retired Maj. Gen. Maria Britt, former Georgia National Guard Trey Ennis (JC ’09), lawyer, former GMC football player – commander – “Self-Leadership Before Leading Others” “Setting and Attaining Goals” Jon Jackson, Comfort Farms founder/owner, U.S. Army veterHenry Craig (HS ’65, JC ’67), Baldwin County commissioner – an – “Serving Others Through Entrepreneurship” “Giving Back as You Lead” Brig. Gen. Christopher Eubank, 39th Chief of Signal and Signal Lt. Col. Charles Comfort (JC ’00), Security Force Assistance School commandant, Fort Gordon – “Leadership Thoughts” Brigade executive officer, Fort Benning – “Relationship BuildRetired Sgt. 1st Class Daniel Metzdorf – “Expectations of a Leader” ing, Reputation Building, and Responsibility Building” Retired Lt. Gen. William B. Caldwell IV, GMC president – “LTs Retired Lt. Col. Lawrence “L.J.” Baker Jr. (JC ’91) – “Leadership Must Be Thinking and Checking LTs” Techniques in the Military and Civilian Sector” Retired Col. Floyd L. Griffin Jr. – “Leadership Style: Making the Transition from Military to Civilian”

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A look back 50 years 25 years 10 years

1970

High school basketball

1995 Corps of Cadets Brigade Ranger Challenge

2010

High school cheerleaders

Share your news.

The Cadence would like to keep your classmates up to date with your latest news.

We want to hear if you have recently married, had a baby, received a promotion, retired, or accomplished some other noteworthy milestone.

Please submit your news by email to: alumni@gmc.edu.

You may also mail to: The Cadence, Office of Institutional Development, 201 East Greene Street, Milledgeville, GA 31061 Please provide your class year(s), degree(s), address, phone number and email.

If you include a photograph, please be sure to identify all people pictured. We look forward to hearing from you!

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T A P S

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“Let no one weep for me, or celebrate my funeral with mourning; for I still live, as I pass to and fro through the mouths of men.”

Ernest Ray Etheridge HS 1949, JC 1950 July 1, 2019

Fred L. Tucker JC 1947 Oct. 17, 2019

Dr. John H. Ferguson HS 1961, JC 1963 Board of Trustees Member July 10, 2019

Jameil Chatman HS 2009 October 21, 2019 Walter “Larry” Stafford HS 1959, JC 1961 November 2, 2019

Marvin Albert “Butch” Noles HS 1960, JC 1962 July 13, 2019

-- Quintus Ennius

CSM Calvin Hill, Sr. (Ret.) Former GMC Tactical Officer Commandant January 7, 2020 Lt. Col. (Ret.) James Strom Former Foundation BOT Member January 29, 2020 Joe Watkins HS 1981 February 5, 2020

Thomas C. Landon JC 1978 July 16, 2019

The Honorable G. Conley Ingram HS 1945, JC 1946 Former Foundation BOT Advisory November 11, 2019

Gregory Allan Trotter HS 1965 July 17, 2019

John Collins Former Board of Trustees Member November 16, 2019

John S. White HS 1952 February 18, 2020

Carol Durden Leverette Former GMC Staff July 26, 2019

Benjamin W. “Hot” Boswell JC 1956 November 25, 2019

Laurance H. Davis Jr. HS 1945 March 17, 2020

Thomas H. Perrin Former Headmaster of GMC Preparatory School August 7, 2019

Robert Donald “Don” Sikes HS 1953, JC 1955 December 18, 2019

Winston Sibley Honorary Alumnus Board of Trustees Member March 25, 2020

Katie Elizabeth Chalker JC 2014 September 18, 2019

Terry M. Torgow HS 1961 December 22, 2019

H. Duggan “Dug” Grimes HS 1955 September 22, 2019

Royce Sanders HS 1962 December 28, 2019

C. Brookins Beck Sr. HS 1951, JC 1954 October 4, 2019

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Gene T. Gaines JC 1961 December 20, 2019

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Edgar Ennis, Sr. JC 1939 February 12, 2020

Joseph H. Milford II HS 1966, JC 1968 March 26, 2020 Margaret Elizabeth Rodimon JC 1971 March 29, 2020

James ”Jimmy” Carlisle JC 1966 April 2, 2020 William H. Patterson Jr. JC 1963 April 4, 2020 William “Chip” Limbrick Jr. JC 1963 April 10, 2020 Rick Van Brunt JC 1963 April 22, 2020 Steven Reid Veal HS 1975 April 22, 2020 Philip A. Bivins HS 1963, JC 1965 April 28, 2020 E. Culver "Rusty" Kidd Devoted GMC Supporter June 2, 2020 Cedric Roberts HS 1949, JC 1950 June 7, 2020

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GMC's devoted supporters Georgia Military College is deeply saddened by the passing of GMC Alumnus, Dr. John H. Ferguson.

GMC was a part of Dr. Ferguson’s life for many decades. In 1943, his parents moved to Milledgeville and Ferguson’s father, DR. JOHN FERGUSON 1943 - 2020 Major Luther HS’61, JC’63 Ferguson, became the school’s dean, then a science teacher. Ferguson was a graduate of both GMC Prep School (1961) and the Junior College (1963).

“For all of us we lost an icon in our community – a man that loved others, treated everyone with respect and

dignity, and always had something positive to say,” shared LTG William B. Caldwell IV, president of GMC. “He was also an incredible supporter of the GMC mission and especially of our students. His involvement and daily participation in doing everything possible to ensure GMC was able to support every student was commendable. We will dearly miss him, a true gentleman, a man of character, a community supporter, and a servant leader. The GMC Family is better for having known Dr. John Ferguson.”

After his graduation from GMC’s Junior College, Ferguson entered the Emory University School of Dentistry from which he graduated in 1968, then entering the U.S. Army Dental Corp., where he served at US locations and in Vietnam and received both the Bronze Star and the Vietnam Civic Action Award.

After two years with the Army, Ferguson was again accepted at Emory as a resident in orthodontics. When

this residency was completed in 1972, he returned to his hometown of Milledgeville with his wife, Janet, to begin practice.

He served as President of the GMC Alumni Association and at the time of his passing, was serving as an advisor to the GMC Board of Trustees as well as 1st Vice Chairperson of the GMC Foundation.

Over the years, Dr. and Mrs. Ferguson have contributed in many ways to GMC, not only in service, but financially as well. Their commitment to GMC is greatly appreciated by Prep School and College students alike who benefit from the Ferguson Health Services Center in Usery Hall, the Ferguson multi-use basketball court in the Kidd Center, and the upcoming Ferguson Upper Lobby in the new Prep School Annex. Because of his gracious time and service to GMC, Ferguson’s legacy will never be forgotten, Chairman of the GMC Board of Trustees, Randy New, says.

Winston "Win" Hall Sibley age 89, passed away on March 25, 2020. Win was born in Lauren, South Carolina on April 3, 1930.

Preceded in death by his parents Mr. Alan Bowen Sibley and Mrs. WINSTON HALL SIBLEY Winston Hall Sibley, a brother, John Adams 1930 - 2020 Sibley and his identical twin brother, Alan Bowen Sibley Jr. Win attended school in Greenville, South Carolina, and graduated from Clemson University with a degree in Animal Husbandry. Win loved Milledgeville,

Georgia, and this was his home for the remainder of his life. He was co-owner of Sibley Farms, along with his brother Alan. Win made his mark on the world in a big way. He was active in many civic groups. He was involved with the American Red Cross on a state and county level. He was a leader with the Farm Bureau his entire adult life and a member of the Progressive Farmers Club, holding office as president several times. Win was a Trustee of Georgia College and State University and served on the Foundation for two years.

Win played a huge role at Georgia Military College and Prep School where he was an Honorary Alumni.

The Sibley family built the Sibley-Cone library at GMC, and Win continued to serve on the Board for over 20 years. He continued to support GMC through the legacy of his children, grandchildren, and great-grand-

children. Win was active on the Board at Century Bank and Trust and served as director for 20 years. He was instrumental in the construction of the First United Methodist Church where it is located today. He was an active member of the Georgia Forestry Association and served on the Board.

Win enjoyed his work as a farmer and kept Sibley Farms as a working farm for many years with his twin brother. He was an avid golfer and enjoyed the game of golf to the fullest. He loved to travel, especially with his bride and their Supper Club group of friends. He had a love for learning new things and welcomed new experiences. Win was an amazing dancer and danced whenever the opportunity presented itself. He was such an intelligent, humble, and generous man and was a gentleman to all who were blessed to know him.

On June 2, 2020, the world lost a great man, Culver “Rusty” Kidd.

Rusty was a dear and beloved friend of Georgia Military College. His mentorship and guidance have been absolutely invaluable in E. CULVER "RUSTY" KIDD charting our future.

1946 - 2020 The Milledgeville native grew up around GMC and has long family ties to the institution.

Rusty’s connection to GMC actually predates his own birth, going back to his grandfather, Culver Kidd, Sr., and his father, Sen. Culver Kidd, who both attended

GMC. Sen. Kidd earned his commission at GMC and went on to serve as a Captain of the U.S. Army in World War II. He also helped to make GMC both a private and public institution of higher learning in the Vietnam era.

Upon his death in 1994, GMC honored him by relocating all his office furniture to a special room in the GMC library. The family still has his GMC saber and uniform in a special place at the College.

When Rusty’s mother passed, local businesses along with the Kidd family created a scholarship fund for her and later added his name to the Tillie S. Kidd and Senator Culver Kidd GMC Scholarship fund.

Since 1987, Rusty has been an active supporter of Georgia Military College, contributing to his family’s scholarship, the Prep School performing arts, annual fundraising, athletics, and visual arts scholarships, as well as the Baugh Barracks Fund and College Cadet

Scholarship, and many more. His most notable contribution was made to the Health and Wellness Fund.

In 1999, Rusty suffered a motorcycle accident that left him paralyzed from the chest down. Despite his physical limitations, Rusty maintained his appreciation for fitness. When Rusty learned of GMC’s plan to build a new Health and Wellness Center for students and faculty, he immediately came forward to help with a generous donation to name The “Kidd Center” and marking his family’s legacy at GMC forever.

Rusty was a dedicated statesman and community leader who worked to improve the lives of those in Milledgeville and Baldwin County, and across the state of Georgia. He was a pillar of service and friendship to the entire GMC community and he will be greatly missed. His legacy will live on at Georgia Military College.

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non-profit org u.s. postage paid Macon, Georgia permit no. 280

201 East Greene Street Milledgeville, GA 31061