Cadets, president honored among battalion's shining stars
Published 05.01.2022
The guest speaker for the evening was Brig. Gen. Laura McHugh, deputy adjutant general-Army, Pennsylvania National Guard.
In addition to the cadets pictured below, other Penn College seniors recognized during the Military Ball are Blake T. Blodgett, of McDonald, welding & fabrication engineering technology; Ryan A. Godard, of Fairfield, emergency management & homeland security; Anthony J. Marturano, of Clarks Summit; McDonald, welding & fabrication engineering technology; Joshua E. Norris, of Gratz, human services & restorative justice; and Megan Nosker, of DuBois, civil engineering technology.
– Photos by Tom Wilson, writer/editor-PCToday
President Gilmour greets guests as part of a traditional receiving line, alongside Chip Edmonds (left), executive vice president at Lycoming College, and Ward (right), among the Penn College seniors honored later in the evening. The two colleges are joined in the Bald Eagle Battalion by Lock Haven and Mansfield universities.
Among the Penn College seniors entering under the ceremonial saber arch are Cadet Aleah M. Emlet, of Chambersburg, graduating May 14 in electronics & computer engineering technology ...
... and Trent Daniel Martin, a construction management student from Ephrata.
Brig. Gen. McHugh inspires cadets by drawing upon her own success, challenging them to follow the proper path in realizing their own boundless potential. "The only limits are the ones you put on yourselves," she told them.
Maly is given a plaque denoting his selection as the year's top senior cadet.
Elinski's award, presented as "testimony of superior achievement and exceptional character," is named for the Army's chief of staff during World War II and President Truman's secretary of state. In addition to his bachelor's, Elinski is on track to earn a pair of two-year degrees in automated manufacturing and machine tool technology.
Ward, named the battalion's top cadet for 2021-22, is introduced by Acosta.
Acosta presents Gilmour with a "thank you" gift for her support of the battalion. During her tenure, which ends with her retirement in June, the president oversaw consistent growth in the number of Penn College cadets and scholarship support for those students choosing military service upon graduation.
Before a shimmery curtain of red-white-and-blue fringe, the president (center) and Penn College staff celebrate with some of the night's biggest VIPs: the Bald Eagle Battalion's Wildcat cadre.