MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. -- Cadets will take over the Air Force ROTC Instagram account Jan. 27, 2023, to highlight AFROTC Detachment 330 at the University of Maryland and give behind-the-scenes perspective as they participate in a ceremony for a new AFROTC scholarship.
The detachment is hosting Air Force and AFROTC senior leaders to introduce the Charles McGee Leadership Award, a two-year scholarship to help relieve financial burdens to allow cadets to focus on their academic and leadership development. Available to all eligible cadets in their junior and senior years, recipients are granted a two-year tuition award of $18,000 per year or this can be converted to a housing benefit of up to $10,000 per year.
The scholarship is named after Brig. Gen. Charles McGee, a Tuskegee Airman and who died on Jan. 16, 2022.
The two cadets taking over the AFROTC Instagram account are Cadets Thu Le and Vivian Hurd. They are crosstown students attending George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. In her senior year, Le is set to commission this May and become a security forces officer. She looks forward to sharing the impact AFROTC had for her.
“AFROTC gave me a sense of purpose in life. I struggled through my early years of university and because of it, I was on the verge of dropping out,” said Le. “Joining AFROTC helped steer me toward a new goal in life while allowing me to continue my education.
Hurd is currently a sophomore and majoring in Russian and Eurasian studies.
“Through AFROTC, I have excelled in both my personal and professional life and developed leadership skills that I can apply both inside and outside of a training environment,” Hurd said. “I am thrilled to host the social media takeover because it is a fantastic opportunity to meet leaders and grow in more experiences.”
Hurd was a awarded an AFROTC high school scholarship but sees this as a great opportunity for her peers not currently on an AFROTC scholarship.
“With the [high school] scholarship, I am privileged enough to not have to balance AFROTC, school, and work. As someone who worked two jobs as a high school student, the tuition assistance has allowed me to solely focus on my future career,” Hurd said.
Le was not on any AFROTC scholarship throughout her time in the program, and she highlights a key benefit CMLA hopes to realize.
“This will help cadets do what they want for themselves without the financial strain that many may face. You never know, providing cadets the assistance could potentially create great future leaders and Air Force officers that would not occur without the help,” she said.
Follow Le and Hurd on AFROTC’s Instagram at usafrotc.