34 Top BSU ROTC Cadets to Receive Collins Scholarship

Ceremony to Recognize the Scholarship Recipients Set for Sept. 15

MEDIA CONTACT: Damita Chambers, dchambers@bowiestate.edu, 301-832-2628 mobile

(BOWIE, Md.) – Thirty-four outstanding ROTC cadets from Bowie State University will be honored with yearlong scholarships commemorating the legacy and leadership of the late Richard Collins III, who was killed in 2017 days after being commissioned as an Army officer before his BSU graduation. View the livestream of the ceremony.

The ceremony will also mark the posthumous promotion of Collins to the rank of first lieutenant in the U.S. Army.

The cadets will be recognized in an awards ceremony on Tuesday, Sept. 15 at 4 p.m. on the BSU campus, which will be live streamed for public viewing. The keynote speaker will be Lieutenant General Leslie C. Smith, who serves as The Inspector General in the Office of the Secretary of the Army.

In addition to the presentation of the scholarship award, the recipients of the Richard W. Collins III Leadership with Honor Scholarship will also receive a commemorative copy of a 2020 book by President Dwight Eisenhower’s granddaughter, Susan Eisenhower, called “How Ike Led: The Principles Behind Eisenhower's Biggest Decisions.” Eisenhower’s book details the late president made some of history’s most important decisions with global implications, including D-Day and the Red Scare controversy.

This year’s BSU scholarship recipients will receive more than $5,000 for the 2020-21 academic year toward their tuition costs.

Army LTC Wesley Knight, head of the BSU Department of Military Science, said the cadets receiving the scholarship represent some of the most engaged members of the Bulldog Battalion. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he said Bowie State students need this scholarship now more than ever.

“I believe this scholarship provides an opportunity for Bowie State students to continue their education with the ultimate goal of furthering their commitment to service as an Army officer,” said LTC Knight. “These scholarship recipients have made a significant impact on the program. They are showing great potential for making Bowie State proud and becoming fantastic officers in the future.”

Established in 2018 through state legislation, the Collins scholarship fund provides an annual $1 million scholarship to deserving minority ROTC cadets from Maryland’s four historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). The fund is awarded from the Office of Student Financial Assistance in the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC).

The scholarship recipients are:

• Lateefat Afolabi
• Kiyah Barnes
• Elijah Bossiwa
• Lakayla Bostick
• Destiny Brevard
• Alaija Burton
• Olivia Chapman
• Thomas Cragg
• Cameron Cuevas
• Oluwafadekunmi Fajemisin
• Rodney Gainous III
• Justin Godley
• Tianna Jackson
• Isaiah Jones
• Diamond Hodo
• Khalil Hitt
• Christopher Lee
• Dawud Liggans
• Amber Minor
• Gejad Molina
• Ted Nguasong
• Favour Oladoyin
• Eniola Olawunmi
• Savannah Proctor
• Emani Reid
• Morgan Scott
• Deneisha Stroman
• Angelica Tiwaa
• Kyle Tunstall
• Chidimma Ugorji
• Eberechukwu Ugorji
• Samantha Young
• Miles Walton
• Timeria Wright

###

About Bowie State University
Bowie State University (BSU) is an important higher education access portal for qualified persons from diverse academic and socioeconomic backgrounds, seeking a high-quality and affordable public comprehensive university. The university places special emphasis on the science, technology, cybersecurity, teacher education, business, and nursing disciplines within the context of a liberal arts education. For more information about BSU, visit bowiestate.edu.