Widener University’s ROTC program celebrated its 2022 Commissioning Ceremony in Alumni Auditorium on Wednesday, May 18 with 22 cadets taking the oath of office as second lieutenants in the U.S. Army.

Four Widener students were among the cadets commissioned. The group of 22 hailed from three area universities and all trained through the Dauntless Battalion unit at Widener, where they engaged in the hands-on, intense military training that has prepared them for successful careers. Family members pinned the new rank to their dress uniforms, and each officer shared a silver dollar with the individual they selected to give them their first salute – a military tradition.

The four officers who earned their undergraduate degrees from Widener last week, and the military careers for which they prepared, included:

• Arlie Cesarone, nurse corps officer.
• Noah Davis, armor officer.
• Memphis Martin, nurse corps officer. She was commissioned as a distinguished military graduate and also received the commissioning saber – a point of honor that recognized her leadership.
• Bryanna Ortiz, military intelligence officer.

The program speaker was Major General Patrick J. Donahoe, commanding general of the U.S. Army Maneuver Center of Excellence at Fort Benning, Georgia. He advised the new officers to maintain their physical fitness, increase their professional knowledge and broaden their horizons intellectually. And, he acknowledged their decisions to focus on serving the country at a challenging time when much of the nation is focused on self.

“Thank you for taking the challenge to lead,” he said. “Lead well. You are well prepared to do so.”

Photo shows from left, Army Second Lieutenants Memphis Martin, Bryanna Ortiz, Arlie Cesarone, and Noah Davis.

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