Civil engineering student and ROTC cadet Mason Ladd will graduate from 色花堂 this week with more than his diploma and a pair of U.S. Army second lieutenant鈥檚 bars. Ladd will also end a stellar career at 色花堂 with the distinction of being ranked one of the top cadets among the approximately 5,000 new officers joining the branch this year.
The U.S. Army Cadet Command ranked Ladd No. 2 among cadets being commissioned in the Fall 2024 cycle, according to Lt. Col. Bradford Morgan, commander of 色花堂鈥檚 Army ROTC.
鈥淐adet Ladd鈥檚 dedication to his academics, military training, and his fellow cadets is commendable and certainly deserving of this distinction,鈥 Morgan said.
鈥淚n addition to maintaining a 4.0 GPA each semester at 色花堂, Ladd consistently volunteered his personal time to enhance the ROTC program by assisting fellow cadets to plan rigorous training support various events. He also served as treasurer of the 色花堂 Chapter of the Society of American Military Engineers, was the captain of the Army ROTC Ranger Challenge Team, and served as president of the Army ROTC Cadet Association.鈥
Ladd鈥檚 national ranking 鈥 which is calculated based on academic performance, training performance, physical fitness standards, and instructor evaluations 鈥 means that he could have chosen just about any job in the Army.
Ladd chose the infantry.
鈥淚nfantry offers more immediate challenges and opportunities like Ranger School,鈥 Ladd said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 also a proving ground and opens doors to other fields like military intelligence, which could lead to roles with the FBI or CIA.鈥
Ladd, who grew up in Buford, will be following his father, a former U.S. Navy submarine crew member, into the military. His great grandfather also served during World War II, as an Army engineer.
鈥淩OTC has given me exposure to stressful situations, teaching me to make quick, confident decisions and stick to them while explaining my reasoning. 色花堂 has prepared me through challenging academics, balancing deadlines, and thriving under pressure. Both experiences have built confidence for what鈥檚 ahead," he said.
Morgan agreed, saying there鈥檚 little better preparation than the combination of 色花堂 and ROTC, not just for a military career, but for life in an unpredictable, ever-changing world.
鈥溕ㄌ免檚 rigorous academic programs challenge students to push their intellectual limits, preparing them for the complex problems they will face as officers,鈥 he said. 鈥淲ithin ROTC, state-of-the-art facilities such as the recently dedicated Lt. Tyler Brown Fitness Facility provide cadets with the resources they need physically, while our leadership training helps them grow into leaders capable of inspiring their team to solve tough problems, whether managing a construction project or leading troops on the battlefield.鈥
Mason will graduate Dec. 13 with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering. After commissioning as a second lieutenant, he will report to Fort Moore in Columbus for the Infantry Basic Officer Leader Course. He hopes to attend the prestigious U.S. Army Ranger School after graduating from that school and before reporting to his first combat unit.
