Two Auburn University Army ROTC Cadets have ranked in the top two percent of all Army ROTC Cadets in the nation.
Cadet Amy Lou Farris and Cadet Timothy Presley ranked 51st and 48th out of 4,702 candidates who will graduate and commission. These rankings were based on academic, physical fitness and leadership success in the Army ROTC program.
"I was excited about the ranking because it gave me the opportunity to do what I always wanted to in the Army, which is fly helicopters," said Timothy Presley, a senior in finance. "There was also a sense of relief that the largest part of my ROTC evaluation was complete."
U.S. Army Cadet Command out of Fort Monroe Virginia decides the rankings at the National level. All cadets regardless of academic discipline or university attended are scored via the same method.
"If a Cadet finishes in the top 10 percent, he or she receives their first choice of branch in the Army," said Lieutenant Colonel Jon Segars, the commanding officer and professor of military science of Army ROTC. "The selection model scores each individual on cumulative GPA, leadership both on campus and at summer training and physical test scores, including army physical fitness plus swimming and combat water survival."
The professors and mentors of the ROTC Cadre at the Nichols Center have a large part in accessing each Cadet individually, but the majority of the ranking is derived from a numerical system that calculates the Cadets performance throughout their four years of matriculation.
"All successes of our program are a reflection of the cadre we have here at Auburn," Presley said. "Their knowledge and guidance over the past four years got me into the position I am now. My success came from taking what they taught and applying it to the tasks before me."
Cadets are up at 6 a.m. up to five times a week in order to ensure a high level of physical fitness is maintained. Cadets are also required to take approximately 25 extra credit hours in order to commission as an Officer.
"Auburn's Army ROTC program is one of the best in the nation, largely because of the dedicated Army professors and mentors we have training us throughout our four years in college," said Amy Farris, a senior in mathematics with a minor in military science. "It is exciting to see everything finally come together and that the valuable experiences and lessons learned throughout the ROTC has finally paid off."
Both Farris and Presley plan to become Army Aviators when they graduate. Their high ranking has guaranteed them that they will get their first branch choice.
"I have and will continue to grow as an individual because of the physical, academic and mental demands that the military has to offer," Farris said. "I am very eager to put into practice the skills that the ROTC has provided me with when I commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Army next May."
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
