Out Of State Cadets

Mark Snyder ’25

March 25, 2025 by rnelson

Hometown: Warrington, Pennsylvania

Major: Political Science

Outfit: Squadron 16

Mark Snyder ’25 currently serves as Squadron 16’s Public Relations Officer. Prior to this year, Mark served as the unit’s Chaplain.

Off the Quad, Mark serves as the President of the Texas A&M Singing Cadets, and is notably the first cadet to serve in the position in 30 years. In his free time, Mark enjoys flying.

“The challenges that I faced in the past four years have made me a better person and a more capable leader. It has been hard, but I have gained experiences that have helped me lead in Squadron 16 and the Singing Cadets, and will also be a valuable resource to lean on as a commissioned officer one day. Whether it’s planning a BBQ or conducting my choir, I’ve consistently had the opportunity to develop my leadership skills. Without the foundations that the Corps built up in me, I wouldn’t be the man I am today,” Mark said of his time in the Corps.

After graduation, Mark plans to commission into the United States Air Force, where he hopes to serve as a Pilot or a Combat Systems Officer.

Olivia Baptiste ’25

October 17, 2024 by rnelson

Hometown: Parker, Colorado

Major: Biomedical Science

Outfit: Squadron 20

A member of Squadron 20, Olivia Baptiste ’25 currently serves as the Commanding Officer of Parsons Mounted Cavalry.

Off the Quad, Olivia volunteers with the Courtney Cares Equine Therapy Program and a local nursing home. In her free time, Olivia enjoys hiking, trail running with her dog, Nellie, fly fishing and baking.

“The Corps has blessed me with countless opportunities to better understand my gifts and how I can use them in service to others. Beyond that, I have gained valuable experience in observing others’ strengths and weaknesses and learning how to develop and grow alongside them,” Olivia said of her time in the Corps.

After graduation, Olivia plans to attend veterinary school and pursue a career as a rural mixed-practice veterinarian.

Aurora Villarreal ’25

August 22, 2024 by rnelson

Hometown: Woodland Park, Colorado

Major: Sociology

Outfit: Corps Staff/Company F-2

Originally from Company F-2, Aurora Villarreal ’25 currently serves as the 2024-2025 Corps Public Relations (PR) Officer. Prior to being named the Corps PR Officer, Aurora served as the Corps PR Sergeant for the 2023-2024 academic year.

In addition to her leadership position on the Quad, Aurora serves as the Co-Captain for the Corps Women’s Soccer team.

Off the Quad, Aurora works as a patient care technician on a cardio monitoring unit.

“The Corps has taught me to make every decision with purpose and intentionality. Understanding that everything in the Corps has a purpose and learning what that means to me has changed how I respond in certain situations, how I work with others and more,” Aurora said of her time in the Corps.

After graduation, Aurora plans to pursue a nursing degree and work as a cardiovascular nurse.

CCMU Remains One Of The Nation’s Elite Shooting Squads

May 21, 2024 by rnelson

The Corps of Cadets Marksmanship Unit recently completed its 12th season, achieving high levels of success across multiple national events.

“All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find it was vanity, but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dreams with open eyes, to make them possible,” T.E. Lawrence.

The above quote sits centered on a printed sheet, just below the Corps of Cadets Marksmanship Unit (CCMU) logo. Eight copies of the sheet have been made, one for each CCMU team member who is set to compete the next day at the SIG SAUER Relentless Warrior Championship in Epping, New Hampshire. One of the team’s coaches, Kevin Jimmerson ‘89, gives the team final words of motivation for the evening.

“Look at that quote on that sheet of paper you just received. That’s us. We dream with our eyes open. Tomorrow is a wide open table. Anyone can do this, but remember that it’s a marathon. I don’t ask that you win, because this isn’t about winning. It’s about looking around and taking care of your buddies. It is not about one of us, it's about all of us,” Jimmerson said.

A token of the moment, members of the team begin moving around the room to sign each other’s sheets. Once each sheet has been signed, paracord and metal links are placed in front of them.

A paracord necklace with a metal link laying on top of the quote sheet that was given to each cadet. — **Each cadet who competed at SIG received a link and quote sheet as a symbol of their place on the team.**

“There is not a ‘weakest link’ on this team. I want each of you to take a link, tie the paracord around it and wear it while we compete this weekend. If you’re ever up there and you need reassurance, grab onto that link and know that we are in this together,” Jimmerson explained.

The following morning, the CCMU is fully geared up at the SIG SAUER Training facility. It is a cold, snowy morning, but the weather conditions seem to go largely unnoticed by everyone in attendance. The team’s participation in this event comes just weeks after their first place finish at the Scholastic Action Shooting Program (SASP)’s National Championship in Talladega, Alabama, and they’re focused on closing out the season on a high note at the Relentless Warrior Championship.

Cadets smile in front of a Sig Sauer poster in the snow. — **Held annually in Epping, New Hampshire, the SIG SAUER Relentless Warrior Championship is one of the CCMU's most prominent involvements.**

“Going to compete at the SASP and SIG National Championships is always nerve-wracking, knowing you have to outperform the best in the sport. My teammates have an inspiring drive to compete and a motivation to always improve. The CCMU is unique because we compete in so many shooting disciplines. Our competitors typically only shoot SASP or SIG; we shoot both and more, such as the Texas Tactical Police Officers Association’s SWAT Competition and the Mammoth Sniper Challenge. At times, it feels like the team is in a constant state of gearing up, tuning and preparation,” Chance De Vos ‘24, Commanding Officer of the unit, said

“I am incredibly proud of my teammates and all of the hard work they have put in the last two semesters. Long nights catching up on school work into early mornings of dry fire, and then weekends of full-day practices and matches. It's why I believe that the CCMU forges the best cadets on the Quad,” he continued.

The Relentless Warrior Championship is lined with notable competitors for the CCMU. Teams from each of the United States Service Academies, senior military colleges and the Canadian Royal Military Academy are all present, with some members of these squads even having prior active duty military service under their belts. It's a stage filled with heavy hitters, but is also one on which Texas A&M has been consistently well represented.

“Texas A&M has a reputation to uphold, and it truly is an honor and a privilege to be able to represent the university and the Corps at all of the events we attend. The pressure to perform and live up to the CCMU's reputation is on and to be able to go out and compete truly is an incredible opportunity,” De Vos said.

CCMU cadet smiles with his dad and sister at the SIG SAUER academy. — **Family members of several CCMU cadets traveled from across the nation to watch and support them as they competed at SIG.**

Though over 1,800 miles away from Texas A&M’s campus, half of the team’s members have family who have traveled to support them across two days of intense, 3-Gun format competition. Family members have arrived from California, Utah, Texas and Massachusetts to support their cadets in the team’s much anticipated final match of the season, and their presence makes all the difference.

CCMU team gathered in cadet Charlie Roach '25's house for dinner after the competition. — **Cadet Charlie Roach's family hosted the team for dinner at their home in Topsfield, MA.**

“It was very nice having my family come watch the team and I shoot. I felt the same sense of joy and support from them that weekend that I did from them when they came to my peewee league soccer games. The feeling of, ‘my mom and dad are here to see me! Yay!’ Having my family's support means a lot to me, and I know my teammates also enjoyed having their families come to watch us as well. It makes me feel accomplished and thankful that my family supports me,” Charlie Roach ‘25, who is originally from Topsfield, MA, said.

Throughout the competition’s two days, cadets push through several complex course trials, each featuring the use of rifles, pistols and occasionally a prop gun provided by Sig Sauer. Some courses require cadets to maneuver around obstacles, to include exiting a parked car and traversing through a plastic tunnel. One trial even features a challenge where cadets are required to grab a weighted bag and toss it over a wooden fence before continuing on to the course’s pistol portion.

Before and after each course, members of the CCMU can be seen jotting notes down on their pocket sized notebooks. Prior to the start of each course trial, cadets’ notes detail the specific course rules. After a course’s conclusion, cadets retrace their steps, detailing their shot placement and other mental takeaways.

A cadet makes note of her shot placement after a completing a course. — **Following the conclusion of each course, CCMU cadets retrace their steps and take notes on their shot placement.**

“We take notes before and after the stage because your brain is for thinking, and paper is for remembering. Under the stress of a stage, it is often easy to forget important information. Writing it down helps build that pathway in your brain, allowing you to reference and remember important details when you’re under the stress of the match,” Rheily Garcia ‘24 said.

In between courses, cadets mingle with each other and members of the other teams, forming relationships with each other that will last long beyond the competition. Also within these small windows of downtime, they take time to ground themselves by looking to their link and paracord, recalling that they are moving together as a unit.

“One of my favorite parts of SIG especially is being able to build relationships and camaraderie with the senior military college and service academy teams. Building these relationships is beneficial to cadets' development now and will be important when our contracted cadets become officers in our military as part of a joint force,” De Vos said.

**Teams from each of the Service Academies and the Senior Military Colleges are present at the Relentless Warrior competition.**

At the conclusion of the competition, the CCMU cadets, alongside the other teams, attend a banquet where the final results are announced. Members of the team are dressed in either the Corps’ Alphas or Midnights uniforms, depending on their classification. Among the many unique uniforms worn at this final event, the three pairs of senior boots in attendance are among the most notable details. For the three senior members of the unit, this evening is the culmination of their years of hard work and dedication to the team.

“During my sophomore year in the Corps I had the opportunity to teach the then freshman class on CCMU how to be good teammates, students and cadets in addition to weapon handling and marksmanship. Watching their growth and achievements as they have developed into capable shooters and leaders in their own right has been the best experience of my college career. I have learned that teamwork and hard work are everything and serving those around you is the most rewarding thing you can do,” Ayla Myrin ‘24 said.

A cadet howdy hat rests on the team's three 2024 Relentless Warrior awards (High Lady, Team 2nd Place, and M17 Shootout Champion). — **In the past eight SIG Championship competitions, the CCMU has never finished below second place.**

As results are announced, the CCMU’s reputation as one of the nation’s most decorated collegiate shooting squads is further solidified. Finishing second overall as a team, the CCMU also received the Top Gun and High Point Lady Shooter awards, among several other individual marks. Of the eight CCMU shooters who competed, seven placed within the top twelve. These awards compliment the rest of the team's 2023-2024 season, which included a tenth consecutive national championship title at SASP, a top ten placement at the Mammoth Sniper Challenge and a top 50% finish at the Texas Tactical Police Officers Association’s SWAT Competition.

Though an undeniably successful season for the team, the CCMU is no stranger to these levels of achievement. Founded in the fall of 2011, the CCMU’s legacy is lined with national titles, high point individual marks and other accolades. The team’s dominance at every level has led to a variety of support from industry leaders such as Global Ordinance, Staccato, Glock, Adams Arms and Kryptek, which aid the team in firearm and apparel needs. Though a significant help on the equipment front, a financial gap in team travel and ammunition costs poses a threat to the team’s ability to compete.

“For just over a decade, the Corps of Cadets Marksmanship Unit has served as a dominant force in the competitive shooting realm. These cadets and their coaches pour countless hours into their preparation for these competitions. The results, the awards they bring home, are a direct result of their dedication to their sport,” Brigadier General (U.S. Army, Ret.) Patrick Michaelis ‘93, Commandant of the Corps of Cadets, said.

If you are interested in helping the national champion Corps of Cadets Marksmanship Unit compete at every level, please contact Kelly Corcoran at the Texas A&M Foundation here.

Story By: Robin Nelson '22

Cadet Wins National Collegiate Rugby Championship

February 12, 2024 by rnelson

While membership in the Corps of Cadets entails a regimented lifestyle with a defined daily schedule, there is still room for students to pursue their interests through activities off the Quad. Home to over 1,300 student organizations and activities, the larger Texas A&M campus is filled with opportunities for cadets to further pursue their passions and prepare for their future goals.

On the Quad, cadet Genevieve Pace ‘24 serves as the Second Group Commanding Officer and as a member of Parsons Mounted Cavalry. Her time outside of the arches is spent as a member of Texas A&M’s Women’s Rugby Club. Though she only began playing rugby three years ago, Pace quickly found herself a seasoned veteran on the team.

“During my fish (freshman) year, I was interested in off the Quad involvement and had always wanted to do a contact sport. So, I reached out to the university rugby team’s recruiting officer. Today, I am the player who has been on the team the longest,” Pace explained.

In the fall of her senior season, Pace decided to try out for the National Collegiate Rugby League’s Lonestar Conference All Star Team, which is comprised of the top players from Texas, Louisiana and Oklahoma. Members of this elite team are given the opportunity to compete against other regional conferences for a shot at the league’s national championship title.

“Out of the 40 girls that tried out, I was selected among 13 others for the team. I was nervous to compete against the top 300 collegiate rugby players in the nation. I did not believe in my own abilities or skills, or that I should be competing at the same level as these girls. I overcame this by talking with my teammates who reassured me that they believe in me,” Pace said.

“I set a personal goal during every single match that I would give 100% of my effort and come off the field as exhausted as possible so that there would be no regrets. The Corps has taught me that perseverance. It taught me that excellence is not perfection, but instead giving 100% effort towards what you want to achieve. No shame can come of giving all you can, especially towards a cause with other people, whether that be my buddies in the Corps or my teammates on the field,” Pace continued.

Pace’s perseverance and dedication to her team culminated the weekend of January 20th, where the Lonestar Conference was finally put to the test. Having never played together prior to the championship series, the team had to come together quickly to find success.

“We played in three pool games versus the Ohio Valley, Upstate New York and South Atlantic conferences. We won all three, so we were able to advance straight to the semi-final round the next day. In the semi final match, we played the Midwest team and shut them out to win the match. In the final game, we played the Big 10 and were also able to shut them out to win the National Championship,” Pace said.

“I felt so ecstatic after winning the championship. It was a surreal feeling to go from being unsure of my belonging at the tournament to winning the entire thing. I was so unbelievably proud of how the team so quickly meshed together. All of us were playing for one another, not just for individual glory, and it showed.”

Though time consuming, Pace says that this experience, coupled with her involvements in the Corps of Cadets, have been worthwhile.

“It takes quite a lot of effort to balance the Corps, the rugby team and my academics. But I genuinely believe that if you love what you are doing, you make the time for it. There is no denying that it was difficult, but I have gained so much from both the Corps and rugby. Both have shaped me into the leader I am today. I say take a leap of faith and do something off the Quad because you never know how it may impact you and your future.”

The similarities between the Corps’ leadership development program and the game of rugby may not be immediately apparent. Pace says one specific core value is present everywhere she looks.

“The Corps experience has especially emphasized selfless service. As one of our core values, I see it exhibited everywhere. Whether it be taking an extra sandbag from my buddy on a run or helping others tack up their horse at a Parsons Mounted Cavalry ride class, you can always do something for someone else. I apply this mentality to rugby too. I need to carry my burden and then some in order to be part of a winning team,” Pace said.

Story By: Robin Nelson ’22