Photo by Joshua Zubia Kyle Feldman, senior criminal justice major, sits at CBU’s Kugel, a symbol of the university’s commitment to the Great Commission.
Kyle Feldman, senior criminal justice major, sits at CBU’s Kugel, a symbol of the university’s commitment to the Great Commission.
Kyle Feldman placed No. 6 on the U.S. Army Cadet Command’s National Order of Merit List. The ranking is a prestigious acknowl- edgment for the California Baptist University senior criminal justice major.
A cadet’s OML ranking is determined by a number of criteria, including the ac- ademic record, leadership evaluations from Warrior Forge as well as leadership evaluations conducted at the home school.
This year, the OML list- ed 1,119 Distinguished Military Graduates out of 5,579 cadets nationwide.
“It was an unexpected honor,” Feldman said. “I put a lot of hard work into everything I did and I am glad that it showed in my ranking.”
As Cadet Battalion Commander, Feldman is in charge of the ROTC ca- dets at CBU, University of California–Riverside and California State University– San Bernardino.
After graduation in May, Feldman will enter the U.S. Army Reserves as a second lieutenant and has been selected as a Military Intelligence Officer.
Feldman said he has al- ways had a desire to enter the armed forces.
“My uncle was an offi- cer in the Vietnam War and my older sister and cousin chose to serve after Sept. 11,” Feldman said. “I grew up lov- ing and reading about history and the officers and soldiers who helped shape the world in a positive way.”
His dedication to ROTC and the country has had an impact on other cadets also.
“I didn’t know what to expect but saw him progress as a leader of ROTC, and I wanted to improve myself,” said Tegh Singh, senior crim- inal justice major and fellow ROTC cadet.
Waking up at 5 a.m. for physical training is not al- ways easy for Feldman.
“But as a cadet, it’s ex- pected,” Feldman said. “The greatest part is that you have fellow cadets and friends who are right beside you.
Sergeant first class Jay Villasenor, U.S. Army ROTC instructor, has watched Feldman mature through the
ROTC program at CBU.
“I have had Kyle since his sophomore year,” Villasenor said. “It was right then and there that I knew he would do great things both academ- ically and in his commitment toROTC.”
Through Feldman’s busy schedule, he has learned how to manage his time.
“You learn to do things that make you most effective in every aspect of your life,” Feldman said.
As a senior in the ROTC program, Feldman said that he hopes to develop the un- derclassmen by making them confident and competent leaders. He explained they need quality officers, not quantity.
A distinguished military graduate, Feldman said he has set the goals high for himself, fellow students and cadets and CBU’s ROTC.
