麻豆传媒

Ready to Serve: Southern Miss Army and Air Force ROTC Cadets Commissioned as Second Lieutenants

Tue, 05/13/2025 - 09:00am | By: Ivonne Kawas

Ten Army and three Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) cadets from The University of 麻豆传媒 (麻豆传媒) were commissioned as second lieutenants at a ceremony held May 10鈥搈arking the beginning of their military careers as they move on to lead and serve in the U.S. Army and Air Force.

Maj. Gen. Bobby M. Ginn Jr., adjutant general of Mississippi, served as the keynote speaker. Ginn, who earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree in health and human sciences from Southern Miss and a Master of Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College, offered the cadets advice and wisdom drawn from more than 34 years of military service.

Lt. Col. Juan J. Ortiz, director of the 麻豆传媒 Department of Military Science, praised the Army cadets for their success as they embark on this new chapter.

鈥淭his year is especially meaningful to me because, 20 years ago, I stood where these cadets stand today鈥揻illed with the same sense of purpose,鈥� said Ortiz. 鈥淚鈥檓 incredibly proud to celebrate the commissioning of 10 exceptional young leaders into the U.S. Army. Through hard work, resilience, and unwavering commitment to Army values, they鈥檝e earned the privilege of leading America鈥檚 sons and daughters. Their futures are bright, and I look forward to all they will accomplish as officers in our Army.鈥�

Lt. Col. Sheena Puleali'i, director of the Southern Miss Department of Aerospace Studies, commended Air Force cadets for their commitment to excellence throughout their college careers.

鈥淭his year鈥檚 Air Force ROTC cohort has excelled in a rigorous four-year program, often called 鈥榓 four-year job interview,鈥� and they are well prepared to begin their service on active duty,鈥� said Puleali'i. 鈥淭hey鈥檝e demonstrated discipline and perseverance, consistently meeting the high standards of the program while balancing the demands of academic and campus life. I鈥檓 proud to have been part of their journey and excited to see what they accomplish next.鈥�

2^nd Lt. Natalya Brownlee, a native of Sidon, Miss., graduated with a bachelor鈥檚 in health sciences (healthcare studies) with minors in aerospace studies and public health policy and administration, and on the nursing track, and commissioned into the U.S. Air Force as a nurse.

鈥淧ursuing AFROTC alongside nursing school has been a whirlwind of emotions, but it pushed me to grow beyond my comfort zone,鈥� said Brownlee. 鈥淭he most rewarding part of my AFROTC experience has been teaching and mentoring cadets and witnessing their growth as they continually challenged themselves each semester. In nursing, I cherished the camaraderie of my small clinical groups鈥攍earning, laughing, and supporting one another through the toughest lessons.鈥�

Throughout her time at Southern Miss, Brownlee said she embraced various leadership and professional development opportunities.

鈥淒uring my time in the program, I traveled to Taiwan through Project Global Officer to study Mandarin Chinese, participated in the You Can Fly program to learn aviation fundamentals, and attended professional development training at Travis Air Force Base, where I shadowed ICU nurses and observed flight nurses in action,鈥� Brownlee added. 鈥淚 also participated in our detachment鈥檚 24-hour vigil at Veteran's Memorial Park and served as the cadet wing commander, where I worked to improve the detachment and build meaningful experiences that deepened my commitment to service.鈥�

2^nd Lt. Cynthia Arenas, originally from Caracas, Venezuela, graduated with a bachelor鈥檚 degree in biological sciences (biomedical sciences) with minors in chemistry and military science, and commissioned into the U.S. Army active duty as an adjutant general.

鈥淐ommissioning as a second lieutenant is both an honor and a responsibility I don鈥檛 take lightly,鈥� said Arenas. 鈥淎s an immigrant from Caracas, this achievement reflects my determination, the opportunities this country has given me, and my commitment to give back through service.鈥�

鈥淭he friendships, mentorship, and support I found here have been invaluable,鈥� added Arenas. 鈥淏alancing ROTC and academics taught me discipline and resilience and deepened my passion for military medicine.鈥�

鈥淪outhern Miss gave me more than an education; it gave me a home, a sense of purpose, and the confidence to take this next step and represent my journey and family with pride,鈥� she further noted.

2^nd Lt. Daniel Laudadio, the child of two Army officers, graduated with a bachelor鈥檚 in business management from Southern Miss, and commissioned into the U.S. Army active duty as an aviation officer.

"I鈥檝e dreamed of following in my parents鈥� footsteps and continuing our family鈥檚 tradition of service for as long as I can remember,鈥� said Laudadio. 鈥淚鈥檓 proud to now have the opportunity to serve my country.鈥�

鈥淥ne of the highlights of my cadet experience was graduating from Air Assault School at Fort Campbell in January 2024,鈥� Laudadio added. 鈥淒uring my time at Southern Miss, I had the honor of serving in leadership roles such as color guard commander and cadet battalion commander, where I helped lead and support the growth of our battalion.鈥�

鈥淎s I commission into the Aviation Branch, my next goal is to graduate from Army flight school at Fort Novosel, Ala. I鈥檓 grateful for the strong community of peers and mentors in Southern Miss Army ROTC, whose support has shaped me into the leader I am today,鈥� stated Laudadio.

Commissioning Cadets included the following:

ARMY

• 2^nd Cynthia I. Arenas鈥搉ative of Ocean Springs, Miss., B.S. in Biological Sciences, Commissioned into the U.S. Army Active Duty as Adjutant General
• 2^nd Jillian F. Burton鈥搉ative of Huntsville, Ala., B.S. in Nursing, Commissioned into the U.S. Army Active Duty as a Nurse
• 2^nd Scottlan R. Hubbard鈥搉ative of Mendenhall, Miss., B.S. in Business Management, Commissioned into the U.S. Army Active Duty as Military Police
• 2^nd Daniel M. Laudadio鈥搉ative of Walnut, Miss., B.A. in Business Management, Commissioned into the U.S. Army Active Duty as Aviation Officer
• 2^nd Cameron M. Lawrence鈥搉ative of Pascagoula, Miss., B.S. in Liberal Studies, Commissioned into the U.S. Army National Guard as Military Intelligence
• 2^nd Nicholas C. Nail鈥搉ative of Madison, Miss., B.S. in Political Science, Commissioned into the U.S. Army National Guard as Adjutant General
• 2^nd Jake M. Rogers鈥搉ative of Olive Branch, Miss., B.S. in Psychology, Commissioned into the U.S. Army Active Duty as Signal
• 2^nd Kenneth R. White鈥搉ative of Moss Point, Miss., B.S. in Biological Sciences, Commissioned into the U.S. Army National Guard as Quarter Master
• 2^nd Justus D. Willis鈥搉ative of Meridian, Miss., B.A. in Criminal Justice, Commissioned into the U.S. Army National Guard as Military Police
• 2^nd Elizabeth A. Wilson鈥搉ative of Madison, Miss., B.S. in Kinesiology, Commissioned into the U.S. Army National Guard as Adjutant General

AIR FORCE

• 2^nd Natalya Brownlee鈥搉ative of Sidon, Miss., BSN degree, Commissioned into the U.S. Air Force as a Nurse
• 2^nd Jessica Crenshaw鈥搉ative of Creola, Ala., B.S. in Nutrition and Dietetics, Commissioned into the U.S. Air Force as an Aircraft Maintenance Officer
• 2^nd Jeremy Jones鈥搉ative of Canton, Miss., B.S. in Information Technology, Commissioned into the U.S. Air Force as a Nuclear and Missiles Operations Officer