34 Bowie State ROTC cadets to receive scholarships in memory of Richard Collins

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Thirty-four ROTC cadets from Bowie State University will be bestowed with yearlong scholarships Tuesday honoring the memory of alumnus and Army 2nd Lt. Richard Collins III, who was murdered in nearby College Park days before his graduation in 2017.

The students will be awarded with the Richard W. Collins III Leadership With Honor Scholarship, a $1 million annual state fund that provides scholarships to minority undergraduate and graduate ROTC cadets attending one of Maryland’s four historically Black colleges and universities.

The ceremony will see Collins posthumously promoted to the Army rank of first lieutenant.

“I believe this scholarship provides an opportunity for Bowie State students to continue their education with the ultimate goal of furthering their commitment to service as an Army officer,” said Army Lt. Col. Wesley Knight, who heads Bowie State University’s military science department, in a news release.

“These scholarship recipients have made a significant impact on the program. They are showing great potential for making Bowie State proud and becoming fantastic officers in the future.”

Cadets will hear a keynote address from Lt. Gen. Leslie C. Smith, who currently serves as Inspector General in the Office of the Secretary of the Army. Recipients of the scholarship also will receive a commemorative copy of “How Ike Led: The Principles Behind Eisenhower’s Biggest Decisions,” written by Susan Eisenhower, granddaughter of president and World War II commanding general Dwight D. Eisenhower.

The award ceremony will be livestreamed starting at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 15 on Bowie State University’s campus.

This year’s scholarship recipients are: