May 6, 2025
NATCHITOCHES — Northwestern State University’s Department of Military Science, LTC Joshua Drake and senior military faculty hosted the Spring 2025 awards program May 1 to honor Reserve Officers Training Corp cadets for academic, military and leadership achievements. ROTC’s mission is to recruit, educate, develop and inspire cadets with a focus on academics. Information on NSU’s Department of Military Science and the ROTC program is available at https://www.nsula.edu/rotc/.
Cadet Caiden Matthews
The program began with recognition of Cadet Caiden Matthews of Shreveport. Matthews is the recipient of the department’s highest honor, the Major General Urban W. Wise Touchstone Award. The term “Touchstone” was taken from the Cadet Creed and is used to mark the character of the recipient. The award reads, “Touchstone: the standard against which others are measured.” Matthews also received the Superior Cadet Award, the American Legion Scholastic Excellence Award, ROTC Honors, PMS Scholastic Excellence, Cadet Honors, the PMS Commendation Medal, the Leadership Excellence Award and the Cadet Recruiting Ribbon.
Matthews is graduating senior pursuing a Bachelor of Science in business administration and a minor in military leadership. He will commission into the U.S. Army during a ceremony at 4 p.m. Wednesday, May 14 in the Student Union Ballroom. The event is open to the public. He has been selected for Quartermaster, active duty, and will attend the Logistics Basic Officer Leader Course at Fort Gregg in Adams, Virginia.
Cadet awards are as follows.
Cadet Jan Amutan of Bossier City – Bronze Medal Athlete, ROTC Honors
Cadet Brendan Campbell of Pearland, Texas — President’s List (4.0 GPA), ROTC Honors, the PMS Scholastic Excellence Award, the PMS Commendation Medal, Cadet Recruiting Ribbon, Lions Club Award, Color Guard Certificate, Ranger Challenge Team
Cadet Eric Cao of Morgan City– Sons of the American Revolution Award, ROTC Honors, Cadet Scholars, Cadet Recruiting Ribbon
Cadet John Clinger of Bossier City — Dean’s List (3.5-3.99 GPA)
Cadet Kyra Cole of DeRidder — PMS Academic Award for the highest jump in GPA, Gold Medal Athlete, USAA Spirit Award, Cadet Scholar Award, Cadet Recruiting Ribbon, Hero of the Battlefield (January 2025)
Cadet Mia Cole of DeRidder — Dean’s List (3.5-3.99 GPA), ROTC Honors, the PMS Scholastic Excellence Award, the Leadership Excellence Award, Cadet Recruiting Ribbon, Military Order of the World Wars, Color Guard Certificate, Ranger Challenge Team, Outstanding Service Award (RSO secretary)
Cadet Rebecca Deaton of Leesville– Dean’s List (3.5-3.99 GPA), Cadet Recruiting Ribbon, Daughters of the American Revolution Award
Cadet Joao Dos Santos of Fort Johnson– President’s List (4.0 GPA), ROTC Honors, PMS Scholastic Excellence Award, Cadet Recruiting Ribbon, Silver Medal Athlete, Superior Cadet Award, Military Order of the Purple Heart Leadership Award, Ranger Challenge Team
Cadet Michael Flores of Ball— Platinum Medal Athlete, American Legion General Military Excellence Award ROTC Honors, PMS Scholastic Excellence, Cadet Scholar, Ranger Challenger Team Co-Captain
Cadet Megan Franchino of Santa Rita, Guam – Bronze Medal Athlete, Military Order of Foreign Wars Award, ROTC Honors, Leadership Excellence Award, Cadet Recruiting Ribbon, Ranger Challenge Team, Outstanding Service Award (RSO treasurer)
Cadet Todd Gladish of Willis, Texas — PMS Achievement Medal awarded to the most improved Cadet, Military Officers Association of American, ROTC Honors, Color Guard Certificate, Ranger Challenge Team
Cadet Evyn Goree of Pineville – Bronze Medal Athlete, Cadet Honors, Cadet Recruiting Ribbon, Hero of the Battlefield (February 2025), Jeanice Leadership and Excellence Scholarship
Cadet Christian Holmes of Shreveport – AUSA Military History Award, Cadet Scholar Award, Leadership Excellence Award, Cadet Recruiting Ribbon
Cadet Camryn Huff of Leesville – PMS PT Attendance Award, Sergeant York Award, Society of the War of 1812 Award, ROTC Honors, PMS Scholastic Excellence, Cadet Scholar, PMS Commendation Medal, Leadership Excellence Award, Cadet Recruiting Ribbon, Color Guard Certificate, Ranger Challenge Team, Outstanding Service Award (RSO president), Hero of the Battlefield (March 2025)
Cadet Tin Huynh of Morgan City – Veterans of Foreign Wars Award, ROTC Honors, PMS Scholastic Excellence, Cadet Honors, Cadet Recruiting Ribbon, Color Guard Certificate, Ranger Challenge Team
Cadet Jaylon James of Stonewall – Dean’s List (3.5-3.99 GPA), ROTC Honors, PMS Scholastic Excellence Award
Cadet Jazmyn Johnson of Shreveport – ROTC Honors, PMS Scholastic Excellence, Cadet Scholar, Cadet Recruiting Ribbon
Cadet Ethan Jones of Montgomery — PMS PT Attendance Award, ROTC Honors, PMS Scholastic Excellence, Cadet Honors, Cadet Recruiting Ribbon, Military Order of the World Wars, Ranger Challenge Team
Cadet Grace Kerney of Barksdale AFB — Dean’s List (3.5-3.99 GPA), ROTC Honors, PMS Scholastic Excellence Award, Cadet Recruiting Ribbon, PMS PT Attendance Award, Military Order of the World Wars
Cadet Demarkus Lawson of Fort Johnson – President’s List (4.0 GPA), ROTC Honors, PMS Scholastic Excellence Award, Silver Medal Athlete
Cadet Jackson Lester of Iowa – Sons of the Union Veterans of the Civil War Award, ROTC Honors, PMS Scholastic Excellence, Cadet Scholar
Cadet Miriam McDaniel of Natchez – National Sojourners Award, ROTC Honors, PMS Scholastic Excellence, Cadet Honors, Color Guard Certificate, Hero of the Battlefield (April 2025)
Cadet Aniyah Miller of LeCompte – Cadet Scholar
Cadet Lanai Miller of LeCompte – PMS Athletic Award, Cadet Scholar
Cadet Caitlin Moak of Robeline – ROTC Honors, PMS Scholastic Excellence, Cadet Honors
Cadet William Moore of Leesville – ROTC Honors, PMS Scholastic Excellence, Cadet Scholar, Cadet Recruiting Ribbon
Cadet Jacob Mullican of DeRidder– Dean’s List (3.5-3.99 GPA), ROTC Honors, PMS Scholastic Excellence Award, Leadership Excellence Award, PMS PT Attendance Award, Gold Medal Athlete, Superior Cadet Award, Reserve Officers Association Award, Color Guard Certificate, Ranger Challenger Team Co-Captain, Outstanding Service Award (ROS vice president)
Cadet Hallie O’Halloran of Deville — PMS PT Attendance Award, Cadet Recruiting Ribbon
Cadet Kaleb Prince of Zwolle – Leadership Excellence Award, Cadet Recruiting Ribbon, Color Guard Certificate
Cadet Marivel Rodriguez of Leesville – Cadet Recruiting Ribbon
Cadet Molly Stelly of Lafayette – Cadet Scholar Award
Cadet Destiny Theriot of Gheens — Dean’s List (3.5-3.99 GPA), ROTC Honors, PMS Scholastic Excellence Award, Cadet Recruiting Ribbon, PMS PT Attendance Award, Color Guard Certificate, Outstanding Service Award (Public Relations Officer)
Cadet Layla Theriot of Gheens — PMS PT Attendance Award, Superior Cadet Award, National Society of Daughters of Founders and Patriots of America, National Defense Transportation Association Award, ROTC Honors, PMS Scholastic Excellence Award, Cadet Honors, PMS Commendation, Cadet Recruiting Ribbon, Color Guard Certificate, Harris Family Scholarship
Cadet Lawson Turner of Haughton — President’s List (4.0 GPA), ROTC Honors, the PMS Scholastic Excellence Award and the Leadership Excellence Award, AUSA-ROTC Award, Nellie Marshall D’Ray Educational Scholarship
Cadet Jeremy Wade of Shreveport – ROTC Honors
Cadet Shalonda Wells of Alexandria – Cadet Recruiting Ribbon
Cadet Colton Wood of Ragley — Dean’s List (3.5-3.99 GPA), ROTC Honors, the PMS Scholastic Excellence Award, the Leadership Excellence Award and the Cadet Recruiting Ribbon, PMS PT Attendance Award, Supreme Council of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry ROTC Award, Color Guard Award, Ranger Challenge Team, Governor James A. Noe Memorial Scholarship
