With SRU being a nationally recognized Military-Friendly school, they are proud to award their Army ROTC (Reserve Officers’ Training Corps) students with various scholarships they can apply for.
For junior criminology and criminal justice major, Geurin Barrows, 20, being awarded an active duty scholarship was more than an honor, he said.
“Before receiving the scholarship I was doing anything asked of me by the ROTC cadre to prove to them I was worthy to receive the scholarship,” Barrows said.
Barrows added that once he was awarded the scholarship he actually felt more pressure, he said.
“I have to further push myself and prove to the cadre through hard work that they made the right choice,” he said.
Barrows was also given the scholarship based on his academic merit with a QPA of 3.9. Barrows is also involved with CULP (Cultural Understanding and Language Proficiency Program), Ranger Challenge, and Air Assault School through the ROTC.
The scholarship guarantees that Barrows will have three and a half years of his education at SRU paid for. A monthly stipend will also be included. The terms of the scholarship require Barrows to serve at least four years active duty and four additional years of either active, guard, or Army reserve duties.
Barrows also serves as a cadet command sergeant major in the Frontier Battalion on campus.
Military science and ROTC enrollment officer at SRU, Captain Bryan Morgan agreed that Barrows deserved the scholarship.
“If he wasn’t qualified for the
scholarship he wouldn’t have one,” Morgan said.
Morgan noted that Barrows has accepted responsibility for the welfare of his subordinates and his nation as a future military leader, he said.
“I met Guerin in military science class when he was a freshman,” Morgan said. “He was physically fit and mature for his age and well on his way to being a military leader.”
The scholarship is roughly worth $42,300 over seven semesters of college, Morgan said. It pays for tuition and fees, books every semester, and a cost of living stipend every month during the academic year.
“Guerin is competing for an active duty commission,” Morgan said. “Which means he can be stationed worldwide participating in either peacekeeping or combat missions.”
To apply for any of the available ROTC scholarships Morgan said cadets must pass a Department of Defense medical examination, be enrolled as a full-time student at the university and maintain a 2.5 GPA to be eligible. Then they must compete further to earn a scholarship by demonstrating to the ROTC Cadre a strong aptitude for military leadership, Morgan said.
“While a 2.5 GPA is a minimum for the scholarship,” Morgan said. “We expect our cadets to maintain much higher grades in order to compete for the jobs they want in the military, and to be eligible for advanced education programs in the military. “
Barrows will eventually lead soldiers and be a military leader, Morgan said.
“We only want the best qualified candidates to take on that responsibility,” he said.
