Meet the Corps of Cadets' leaders for the spring semester
Each semester, the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets selects new cadet leaders to maximize the opportunities for students to lead during the academic year.
These leaders make up the cadet chain of command and are responsible for the planning and operations of the corps every day. Running the regiment of about 1,200 cadets is no small task. The spring semester leadership was chosen at the end of the fall semester, and these cadets will complete their commands during the Change of Command Pass in Review on the Drillfield on April 27.
The spring semester regimental commander is Cadet William Sosnowski from Fairfax Station, Virginia. An aerospace engineering major in the College of Engineering and member of Air Force ROTC, Sosnowski is the highest-ranking cadet at Virginia Tech.
“My goal in leadership is to do my best to enable those in my charge to succeed. The leaders I aspire to emulate are the ones who shield those under them from external pressures to allow them to best complete the task. For me, Ut Prosim is not limited to the service you do while leading, but how you serve those that you lead,” said Sosnowski.
The regimental executive officer is Camden McCullough of Powhatan, Virginia. A member of Air Force ROTC, she is double majoring in chemistry in the College of Science and chemical engineering in the College of Engineering. As the second-highest ranking cadet in the regiment, McCullough’s tasking as executive officer revolves around training, safety, and management of the regimental staff. She draws her leadership inspiration from the Loyalty Pylon.
“Loyalty requires a leader to be present in the bad times as much as they are in the good times. This means being present when they need you more than when they want you. I aspire every day to be loyal to my people and to earn their loyalty,” said McCullough.
Battalion leadership
The cadet regiment is divided into four battalions, each with a battalion commander who is responsible for the training and operations of roughly 300 cadets.
The 1st Battalion commander is Cadet Shelby Stevens of Dinwiddie, Virginia. A senior in the corps’ Citizen-Leader Track, Stevens is majoring in agriculture economics in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
Raised in a family of Hokies, Stevens lets service lead her leadership experience. She said, “In my leadership position in corps, I stive to not only be a consistent leader, but more importantly a consistent server to those that I lead. Pairing Ut Prosim and the Ghandi quote, 'The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others,' I strive to lead by example by committing myself to a life of service.”
The 2nd Battalion commander is Cadet Shane Ervin of Eldersburg, Maryland. A member of Army ROTC, Ervin is majoring in computer science in the College of Engineering, and he has used his time in the Corps to find his leadership style as he pursues a commission in the Army.
“The corps offers so many opportunities to try, learn, and fail. Embracing leadership positions in the corps allowed me to lead small and large groups of people before the Army expects me to do so,” said Ervin.
The 3rd Battalion commander is Cadet Oliver Nazarian of Charlotte, North Carolina. An industrial and systems engineering major in the College of Engineering, he is a member of Naval ROTC who looks to the university motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), for inspiration in leadership.
“Leadership is all about people, and Ut Prosim reminds me every day to serve the people that I have the privilege to lead,” said Nazarian.
The 4th Battalion commander is Cadet William Connolly of New Bern, North Carolina. A member of Navy ROTC, he is majoring in aerospace engineering in the College of Engineering. For him, the corps has been a way to learn and lead under the guidance of the retired officers and senior enlisted advisors on the commandant’s staff.
“I know that my success is a direct result of the effort I place in challenging myself each day to be better than the last, and learning through leading is an exciting way to do so,” said Connolly.
