Commencement season at The Citadel is a time to celebrate student achievements in academics, leadership and service. At the South Carolina Corps of Cadets Awards Convocation Thursday, May 3, 50 awards were presented to cadets and active duty students in recognition of their outstanding accomplishments. The 2018 award recipients include:

Air Force ROTC Award for Academic Excellence

The Air Force ROTC Award for Academic Excellence recognizes a commissioning senior who achieved the highest cumulative grade point average in all his or her academic coursework at The Citadel.

George Dillon Graham

American Legion College Award

The American Legion College Award is presented to a senior cadet who has demonstrated the qualities of military leadership, discipline and citizenship. Key attributes of those chosen are service to others, dedication to values and honor to self and the country.

Hunter Foster

Association of Military Colleges and Schools of the United States Award

The Association of Military Colleges and Schools of the United States Award is given to a senior cadet who best exemplifies the finest traditions of The Citadel and best represents the college’s mission.

Grace Jenkins

Athletic Officer of the Year Award

The Athletic Officer of the Year Award is presented to the athletic officer who, in the opinion of fellow athletic officers, demonstrates outstanding leadership in the administration of unit athletics.

Joseph Hart

Intramural Athlete of the Year Award

The Intramural Athlete of the Year Award is presented to cadets who have shown outstanding performance in intramural competition demonstrating athleticism, sportsmanship and competitive spirit. Battalion and company athletic officers nominate the recipients each year.

Male: Jacob Dill

Female: Michelle Banzon

Board of Visitors Trophy

The Board of Visitors Trophy is awarded annually to the cadet company that excels in physical effectiveness, one of the four pillars of the college.

Oscar Company

The Brigadier Foundation President’s Award

The Brigadier Foundation President’s Award recognizes a senior athlete who has contributed the most to The Citadel’s athletic program and the Corps of Cadets. Members of the graduating class vote for the award recipient each year.

Myles Pierce

Col. Floyd W. Brown Jr. Memorial Award

The Col. Floyd W. Brown Jr. Memorial Award is presented annually to a senior cadet who has contributed to the success of cadet life and best exhibits the highest degree of customs and courtesies of a cadet, citizen and soldier.

Richard Bennett

Mark W. Clark Honor Committee Award for Exemplary Service

The Mark W. Clark Honor Committee Award for Exemplary Service recognizes a member of The Honor Committee judged to have made the greatest contribution to the honor system throughout the school year.

Aaron Beck

Walter B. Clark Award

The Walter B. Clark Award is presented to the cadet who achieves the highest overall standing at the Army ROTC advanced camp. Members of The Citadel’s Army ROTC instructor group established the award in 1977 to honor Col. Walter Ballard Clark’s service in the military and at The Citadel. Clark, Citadel Class of 1951, was a professor of military science and commandant of cadets from 1974 to 1977.

Paige Herbst

Congressional Medal of Honor Society Award

The Congressional Medal of Honor Society Award is presented annually to the graduating senior cadet considered the most outstanding in the performance of cadet and military activities who will be commissioned into the armed forces.

Tomothy Behnke

Lt. Col. Harvey M. Dick Official United States Army Sword

The Lt. Col. Harvey M. Dick Official United States Army Sword is presented annually by the Society of the Sons of the American Revolution to the most outstanding cadet being commissioned in the U.S. Army. The sword is awarded in recognition of the superior academic and leadership skills that the recipient has demonstrated during four years as a cadet.

Matthew Wilder

Todd L. Dorney Award

The Todd L. Dorney Award is presented annually in memory of Army Lt. Todd L. Dorney, a 1980 Citadel graduate. The sword goes to a senior under Army ROTC contract who ranks in the top 10 percent of his or her class.

Kylie Flynn

William Porcher Dubose Award

The William Porcher Dubose Award is presented annually by the General Organization of the United Daughters of the Confederacy to the first-honor graduate in memory of Cadet Dubose, a citizen soldier, first-honor graduate and ranking cadet in the Class of 1855.

John Clark

Capt. Ryan Hall Leadership Sword

The Captain Ryan Hall Leadership Sword is presented annually to the rising senior Air Force contract cadet who has excelled in academics and leadership. The recipient exemplifies the values and attributes of Hall, which include integrity, loyalty, strength of character, honor, dedication, leadership and service before self. Hall, Citadel Class of 2004, was killed Feb. 18, 2012 while in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. The sword will be carried throughout the cadet’s senior year, until it is again passed on to another deserving Air Force cadet.

Michael Sementilli

Wade Hampton Saber

The Wade Hampton Saber is given annually by the South Carolina Division of the United Daughters of the Confederacy to a senior cadet who demonstrates outstanding leadership and made the greatest contribution to The Citadel while a cadet.

George Dillon Graham

Carlisle Norwood Hastie Award

The Carlisle Norwood Hastie Award is presented annually to the graduating senior cadet who was selected by classmates as showing the most tact, consideration and courtesy to fellow cadets.

Devon Chatman

Hemingway Award

The Hemingway Award is given to the senior who throughout his or her cadet career made the greatest contribution as a Christian cadet on the athletic field and to the spiritual life of the Corps of Cadets. It is named for Marine Corps Lt. Col. Thomas E. Hemingway, Citadel Class of 1960.

Amos Jackson

Lt. Col. Leigh Hochreich Memorial Fund Award

The Lt. Col. Leigh Hochreich Memorial Fund Award is presented annually to a senior who best displays strong character, patriotism, love of fellow man, loyalty and devotion to The Citadel.

Ty’Rhonza Harris

Maj. William Marks Hutson Award

The Maj. William Marks Hutson Award is presented annually at The Citadel to a junior cadet selected for outstanding leadership ability, academic standing and devotion to duty. The award is presented in memory of Maj. William M. Hutson, U.S. Air Force and Citadel Class of 1939, who was killed in service in World War II. 

Mitchell Felt

John Paul Jones Award

The John Paul Jones Award recognizes a Navy ROTC midshipman second class who has demonstrated leadership excellence and military bearing personifying the high ideals and principles which motivated and sustained our naval forefathers. The Citadel professor of naval science selects the recipient of the sword. The Charleston Commandery Naval Order of the United States sponsors the award.

Christian Meyer

Brig. Gen. James E. Mace Leadership Award

The Brig. Gen. James E. Mace Leadership Award is presented annually to a senior cadet who will commission in the military and demonstrates outstanding leadership in the day-to-day running of the South Carolina Corps of Cadets. The cadet must exhibit unwavering love for The Citadel along with the leadership traits of honor, self-discipline, courage, patriotism, high moral standards and service to fellow cadets. The award is named after a former commandant of cadets and 1963 Citadel graduate.

Stephen Cleary

Lt. Dan Malcom Jr. Memorial Sword

The Lt. Dan Malcom Jr. Memorial Sword recognizes a cadet for leadership and dedication while a member of The Citadel Naval ROTC. The sword is presented in memory of 1st Lt. Dan Malcom Jr., Class of 2001, who was killed in 2004 in Iraq.

Kirkland Rizer

Gen. George C. Marshall Award

The Gen. George C. Marshall Award is presented annually to a senior cadet being commissioned in the Army. The recipient must be the top graduating senior in the cadet battalion, must have completed the Leadership Development and Assessment Course and have demonstrated the leadership and scholastic qualities that epitomize the career of Gen. George C. Marshall.

Robert Wiegand

D.S. McAlister Cadet Activities Award

The D.S. McAlister Cadet Activities Award is presented annually to the senior cadet who has made the greatest contribution to the Department of Cadet Activities.

Charles Braddock

Cadet Medal of Merit Award

The Cadet Medal of Merit Award is presented by the adjutant general of South Carolina to an outstanding senior cadet who exemplifies the traits of leadership, scholastic achievement, conduct and participation in cadet and college activities.

John Cordes

Military Order of Foreign Wars of the U.S. Gen. Charles P. Summerall Award

The Military Order of Foreign Wars of the U.S. Gen. Charles P. Summerall Award is presented to a senior cadet scheduled for commissioning in the military who has excelled in the ROTC program, leadership and the study of military history.

Robert Wiegand

Robert G. Miller Memorial Sword

The Robert G. Miller Memorial Sword is given to a graduating Navy midshipman or officer candidate who has excelled in a Navy Battalion leadership position, devoted his or her life to public service and is in the top 25 percent of his or her graduating class. 

James Andrus

Capt. H. Carl Josephson Sword

The Capt. H. Carl Josephson Sword is presented by the Charleston Council of the Navy League to the most outstanding cadet being commissioned in the U.S. Navy. The sword is awarded in recognition of superior academic and leadership skills demonstrated during four years as a Citadel cadet.

Jon Buckland

Brig. Gen. William Lee Smith Sword

The Brig. Gen. William Lee Smith Sword is presented by the Charleston Council of the Navy League to the most outstanding cadet being commissioned in the U.S. Marine Corps. The sword recognizes superior academic and leadership skills demonstrated during four years at The Citadel.

Paul Rispoli

South Carolina Society of the Order of Founders and Patriots Award

The South Carolina Society of the Order of Founders and Patriots Award is given to the cadet who has best shown, through his or her superior historical scholarship, an exceptional understanding of and respect for the sacrifices of our founding forefathers and revolutionary patriots.     

Grant Miller

Col. Joseph E. Perkins Honor Committee Award

The Col. Joseph E. Perkins Honor Committee Award is presented annually to a member of the Honor Committee in recognition of invaluable service to the Corps of Cadets by upholding and promoting the high ideals of The Citadel honor system. 

Sean Blanton

Ruben B. Pitts III Memorial Award

The Ruben B. Pitts III Memorial Award is given in memory of Cadet Reuben B. Pitts III, Class of 1963, to the junior cadet selected by his or her classmates as showing the greatest concern for the well-being of others.

Logan Barber

Society of the Daughters of the American Colonists Silver Bowl Award

The Society of the Daughters of the American Colonists Silver Bowl Award is presented to the graduating cadet who has contributed to the idea of teamwork, morale, and service to others at The Citadel and in the community.

Amos Jackson

Henry Dale Smith Public Speaking Award

The Henry Dale Smith Public Speaking Award is presented to the winner of the annual cadet public speaking competition sponsored by The Citadel Oral Communications Lab. The award is named in honor of Smith, a 1947 graduate of The Citadel and chairperson emeritus of H.D. Smith & Co., one of the largest drug wholesale companies in the country.

Robert Hudson Imhoff

Special Forces Association Award of Excellence

The Special Forces Association Award of Excellence is presented to a contracted freshman or sophomore cadet in one of the ROTC departments who displays scholastic excellence, military proficiency, leadership qualities and dedication to mission.

Boey Chen

Star of the West Medal

This Star of the West Medal is presented to the best drilled cadet in the Corps of Cadets. The award has been presented since 1886.

Joseph Wendling

Widder Award

The Widder Award recognizes the distinguished military student in the Army ROTC who has best exhibited the qualities of devotion to duty, exemplary conduct, military and academic excellence and unquestionable character. The award is presented annually in memory of Capt. David Widder, a 1959 Citadel graduate who was killed in Vietnam while serving in the Army.

Joseph Pappagallo

William G. Willard Jr. Award

The William G. Willard Jr. Award is presented to a junior cadet selected by the senior cadet leadership for exemplifying the qualities of integrity, devotion to duty and service to The Citadel.

Noah Harvey-Fonvil

Lila K. Whetstone Women in Leadership Excellence Award

The Lila K. Whetstone Women in Leadership Excellence Award recognizes a young junior woman in the Corps of Cadets who excels in academics in fitness, serves the Corps of Cadets with courage and humility, is dedicated to helping others through community involvement and is actively engaged in the training and development of her fellow cadets.

Sarah Zorn

Undergraduate of the Year Award

The Undergraduate of the Year Award is presented to graduating seniors selected by the business administration faculty as the most outstanding majors in the school.

Gabriel Massey

Col Charles E. Hirshey Award

The Col. Charles E. Hirshey award recognizes the most outstanding graduate in teacher education. The award is named for Col. Charles Hirshey, Ph.D., who served as head of The Citadel’s Department of Education from 1969 to 1979. He was a pioneer in education in the Lowcountry and a founding member of the current Citadel Graduate College.

Frederick Galloway

Col. Louis Shephard LeTellier Award

The Col. Louis Shephard LeTellier Award is presented to the member of the graduating class attaining the highest academic grade point ratio in civil engineering.

Joseph Cook

Peter Gaillard Memorial Award

The Peter Gaillard Memorial Award recognizes an exceptional electrical and computer engineering senior cadet based on scholastic attainment, leadership and participation in extracurricular activities. The award is presented in memory of an outstanding 1948 graduate of The Citadel’s electrical engineering department.

Connor Fuhrman

Leidos Courage Award

The Leidos Courage Award is presented to an upperclassman in the college’s National Security and Intelligence Program who demonstrates an act of courage, exhibits The Citadel’s core values, embodies the values and ethical character of a principled leader, exemplifies service before self in actions and deeds and serves as a role model in his or her academic and personal endeavors.

Dalton Weintraub

Francis Marion Cup

The Francis Marion Cup is awarded to a graduating senior cadet who has done exemplary academic work in American history courses. The Rebecca Matte Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution sponsors the award.  

Matthew Russell

Joseph P. Riley Jr. Award

The Joseph P. Riley Jr. Award is presented to the graduating senior in the school of humanities and social sciences who best represents the commitment to academic excellence, the breadth of intellectual interests and the dedication to public service exemplified by the life and career of Joseph P. Riley Jr. Riley is a Citadel Class of 1964 graduate, 1968-1974 state legislator, 1975-2016 mayor of Charleston and current endowed chair of American government and public policy professor at The Citadel.

David Truesdale

Dr. Francis Eugene Zemp Award

The Dr. Francis Eugene Zemp Award is presented to the senior cadet in the field of pre-med with the highest academic average.

George Dillon Graham

Honorable Falcon Black Hawkins Jr. Award

The Honorable Falcon Black Hawkins Jr. Award recognizes the veteran student at The Citadel who, like Falcon Black Hawkins Jr., demonstrated patience, wisdom, humility, academic achievement, servant leadership and sound judgment while always setting an example as a person of integrity. Hawkins, Citadel Class of 1958, was a dedicated U.S. district court judge for South Carolina and served as chief judge from 1990 to 1993.

Amber Wilder