Awards presented to top cadets during 2024 commencement ceremony at The Citadel

The Citadel honored three of its most outstanding cadets during the South Carolina Corps of Cadets Commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 4.

The awards, which are given out annually, recognize the cadets with the highest grade-point averages, as well as the most courteous member of the graduating class.

The David Shingler Spell First and Second Honor Graduates are the cadets whose grade-point averages are the highest in each graduating class, based on the total college record of that class. Recipients of the awards receive a plaque and a stipend for educational expenses at the graduate level.

First Honor Graduate

This year, the prestigious title of First Honor Graduate went to Cadet Aekchanin Iamborisut.

Iamborisut, from Bangkok, Thailand, earned a perfect grade point average of 4.0 majoring in Electrical Engineering. He has served as a tutor in math, computer science and electrical engineering. He is a member of Tau Beta Pi, the engineering honors society, as well as a cadet ambassador for the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department and has represented the college as a member of The Citadel’s Engineering Ethics Team. Upon graduation, he will be commissioned as an officer in the Thai Army and one day hopes to earn a Ph.D in electrical engineering and return to academia.

Second Honor Graduate

The Second Honor Graduate for the Class of 2024 is Cadet Caroline Weeren.

Weeren is from Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, and earned a perfect grade point average of 4.0 in Mechanical Engineering. She was a four-year Air Force ROTC scholarship student, a member of The Citadel women’s soccer team and an Honors Program student. She also served Papa Company in multiple rank positions, most recently as a Human Affairs Officer. Additionally, she participated in undergraduate research with School of Engineering faculty on the effective training of assembly line workers and presented research related to wind turbines at an Honors College conference. Upon graduation, she will attend the Air Force Institute of Technology at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base to earn a master’s degree in engineering management before continuing into her Air Force career.

John O. Willson Ring

The John O. Willson Ring has been awarded annually since 1911 to a senior elected by their peers as the finest, purest and most courteous member of the class.

The Class of 2024 voted to award the John O. Willson Ring to Cadet Col. Sullivan Newsome who is from Prosperity, South Carolina, and who earned a Supply Chain Management degree. He excelled in academics and the Corps, earning Gold Stars, President’s List and Commandant’s List. Additionally, he is a Palmetto Medal recipient and earned the Wade Hampton Saber. Because of his outstanding leadership abilities, Newsome was selected to serve as the 2023-2024 Regimental Commander. He consistently demonstrates principled leadership, academic excellence and service to others. Cadet Newsome accepted employment with Lee Distributors in Summerville as a full-time trainee in their leaders-in-training program.