Decorated Army Veteran Joins Bowie State as Executive-in-Residence

Retired Brigadier General Twanda Young Teaches Leadership to Business Students

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

(BOWIE, Md.) – A decorated U.S. Army veteran with more than 30 years of military service joins Bowie State University as an executive-in-residence, teaching organizational leadership to students in the College of Business.

Brigadier General Twanda Young comes to Maryland’s first historically Black college and university (HBCU) after retiring in June 2020 as deputy commanding general for the Army’s Human Resources Command, the nation’s largest human resources organization. Most recently, she led the Army’s COVID-19 Voluntary Retiree Recall Task Force, providing on-the-ground support from medical staff in combatting the pandemic. She was previously the Army Reserve’s human resource director. Among her military honors is a 2020 induction as a Distinguished Member of the Corps for the Adjutant General Corps.

“I am excited for the opportunity. I am looking forward to engaging with the students and being able to hear the students say, ‘I walked away armed with the knowledge to be a better professional, a better person and a better influencer in the community,” she said. “There is no better way to forge myself into civilian life after 32 years of military life.”

BG Young is a lifelong learner and educator. She holds a master’s degree in adult education and a master’s degree in executive development from Ball State University, as well as a Master of Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College. She is excited to share with her students the leadership skills she learned from her military experience.

“There are not many Black female general officers in the Army, and there are many lessons learned in understanding that dynamic and having some tools in the toolkit of dealing with situations when you are the only minority in the room,” she said.

A first-generation college student, BG Young understands some of the challenges that Bowie State students may face as they navigate their journey to earn a degree. She is a proud HBCU graduate, having received her bachelor’s degree from Claflin University and her ROTC commissioning from South Carolina State University. She understands the unique value of an HBCU education.

“The foundation that I have been given from Claflin University and South Carolina State University set me up for success throughout my military career,” she said. “I just want to have the opportunity to be able to give back, like those instructors gave to me when I was going to those institutions.”

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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.