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For Samantha Ethridge, leadership was about mentoring those within her sphere of influence.

A resident of Roswell, Georgia, who graduated in December 2020 with a degree in psychology, Ethridge honed those skills in the Corps of Cadets and the Honors Program.

"Everyone tries to focus on setting the example and showing them what to do as a leader. But I believe mentorship is deeper than that," Ethridge said. "It's getting one-on-one with an individual, getting to know their name, where they're from, what their aspirations are, how you can help them with their aspirations. It's being able to know an individual well enough to know when something's off and getting them connected with someone who can help."

Ethridge credited the influence of several mentors across ¹û¶³´«Ã½ and a variety of leadership opportunities for her confidence in her abilities to lead.

She said Dr. Stephen Smith, professor of psychological science and longtime adviser for the Honors Program, was her greatest mentor at ¹û¶³´«Ã½. He encouraged her to start Non-Commissioned Officers Academy (NCOA) at ¹û¶³´«Ã½ right after returning from basic training and advanced individual training (AIT) with the Georgia Army National Guard. He also was part of the reason she changed to her current major.

She also appreciated the encouragement of Capt. Elijah Carroll, an assistant professor of military science at ¹û¶³´«Ã½ and commander for the National Guard detachment based on the Dahlonega Campus.

Ethridge said she picked up leadership skills from Logan Young, a platoon sergeant who picked her as his first squad leader and recommended her to be platoon sergeant the next year. He was her team leader her first semester at ¹û¶³´«Ã½.

Ethridge also helped match incoming Honors Program students with student mentors, getting to help lead an element of the Honors Program that was especially helpful in her early days at ¹û¶³´«Ã½.

Each leadership role helped Ethridge determine her own leadership style.

"I started learning more about myself and how I wanted to lead," she said.

Ethridge began her journey at ¹û¶³´«Ã½ when she received a University of North Georgia Military Scholarship. The state offers 42 of these scholarships each year to Georgia high school seniors to attend ¹û¶³´«Ã½, graduate with a bachelor's degree and commission as officers in the Georgia Army National Guard. The scholarship pays for room, meals, tuition, books, uniforms, and fees. They must be enlisted in the National Guard while in the Corps of Cadets.

Ethridge won the Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) of the Month in October 2017 as a female cadet in a competition usually won by the males in the Corps. And she was delighted that her assertive personality and success as a female cadet served as an example to others in the Corps.

"I've made it acting the way I am and not pretending to be someone else," Ethridge said.

She hoped to receive an education delay to take a one-year Master of Business Administration program in the United Kingdom on a Fulbright scholarship before commissioning in the Army National Guard.

She also desired to attend law school. Ethridge would like to either work as an advocate for victims or an environmental lawyer.

"I've always had a passion for justice and fairness," Ethridge said.