Kim BrattainFounder/ CEO, Kim Brattain Media · Award-winning Corporate and Documentary Film Producer

Gardner-Webb University | Student Spotlight

8 Jul 2025 · 2 min

Watch on YouTube

1:39

The video features a Gardner‑Webb ROTC cadet (Speaker A) describing how she discovered ROTC in high school, met Captain Meissner and senior cadets, and came to view the program as a family that fosters pride, especially as a woman in the Army. A veteran parent (Speaker B) reflects on serving in the 1990s and now seeing her daughter follow the same path, expressing deep pride. Speaker A also outlines her academic progress, having earned an Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) in May 2019 and planning to complete an online RN‑to‑BSN program by May 2020. A program representative (Speaker C) highlights Gardner‑Webb’s three core pillars—physical fitness, academics, and character—emphasizing the goal of producing well‑rounded citizens beyond military skills. The cadet concludes by stating that Gardner‑Webb feels like home. The content showcases personal motivations, family legacy, educational milestones, and the ROTC program’s holistic values.

Chapters

I was used to structure in my life, and I knew a lot about ROTC because I had researched it in high school. So I went and sat down with Captain Meissner and some of the seniors at the time, and they convinced me to just come work out with them. And so it all kind of started from there, and ROTC to me means family. The people that I've met, the friendships that I've formed. For me, the Army was more of a pride thing. There are less females in the Army than there are in some of the other branches, and I think I think it was a pride thing, like, hey, I can do this. I'm going to prove to myself that I can do this, and my family plays a role in that.
When I served in the Army, it was back in the '90s, early '90s. So here it is, what, 30 years later, and now my daughter is going to be serving in the Army. So that's kind of a big wow factor for me. She has taken her life in the direction that she wanted to go. I'm very proud of her.
I graduated in May of 2019 with my ASN. It will take me a year of fully online programming to get my RN to BSN, and in May of 2020, I will graduate with my Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
She's driven, so if you give her a task, she's gonna complete it. One of the things that we're known here for at Garner-Webb is we're known for our physical fitness, our academics, and our character. So our cadets here are known for those 3 things, and I want them to be able to be well-rounded when they leave here and not just know the military side, but be able to have them as good citizens as well.
Gardner-Webb just feels like home.