While teachers were repetitively calling his name every day Senior Jalen Ayers was at Advanced Camp, which is a necessary camp and training to become a Second Lieutenant in the Army. He was there from July 6th to August 6th and went to Colorado where he was chosen to be a Platoon Leader and got to be an acting Second Lieutenant.
While at Fort Carson in Colorado, he was able to visit Pikes Peak which is the highest summit of the southern Front Range of the Rocky Mountains in North America. Ayers said that he would encourage anyone to go out there and "just see the amazing sights and be able to realize that there is a God."
(Jalen Ayers at Pikes Peak in Colorado)
Ayers is a Senior Broadcasting major from Charlotte, North Carolina where he grew up being a very successful basketball player. He moved to Columbia when he was going to high school because his dad got a job offer he couldn't refuse.
"Why am I leaving Charlotte?," asked a young Ayers. He knew nothing of South Carolina but when he got to Columbia for high school he started playing football.
"I was pretty decent at it," said Ayers. Pretty decent? Decent enough to get a football scholarship to Tusculum College in Tennessee.
(Jalen Ayers pictured at Awards Banquet)
He went but it was a really small town. Ayers said if you wanna celebrate "you go to the one Applebees there and that's it.
He realized after the season that he had zero passion and desire for football. He didn't want his parents to have anything to do with it so he called every HBCU he could; he desperately wanted to have a more loving and family experience than he did in Tennessee.
A fried of the family decided to give Ayers the help he needed. Juan Maultsby, program director of the Honors College at South Carolina State assured Ayers that he could get into SC State easily and that if he didn't like it he could always transfer.
Ayers decided to come to State. He joined the the National Guard a year after because he wanted to get back to Charlotte for free. He didn't know however that he had to go to basic training for a semester. After that, he enrolled in school but got deployed to Afghanistan for 9 months giving Ayers another unexpected setback.
When he returned from deployment he said that "it was no longer about getting back to North Carolina; I have to finish school."
Since he didn't want to deploy again, he decided to join the ROTC program at SC State to be able to pursue finishing his education.
"Joining ROTC was the best decision I've probably ever made," said Ayers.
Jalen Ayers (right), with his brother Juwan (left), and his father Mr. Ayers (center)
He thought since he deployed he had it all together already but, credits the sayings of his father as his piece of humble pie.
"Be a leader, not a follower; But in order to lead, you have to follow first. He beat it in our heads," said Ayers.
(Jalen Ayers teaching ROTC students from multiple colleges)
Now Ayers is over the Bulldog Battalion as the Battalion Executive Officer. He is inspired and passionate about building up what is already one of the best, most productive general producing programs in the nation.
According to Ayers, the bulldog battalion has 19 generals in the U.S. Military, with two more coming within the next 2 years. That number is second only to West Point, which tells you how profound the program here is.
"We produce leaders, we are known for producing generals who are ready to lead. That's why I'm so hard on the students. Because I know what we come from and I know how serious this is," said Ayers.
"I will probably always come back to State once I graduate to make sure the Battalion never dies down. I am passionate about mentor-ship so I always intend to be helping and giving back," said Ayers.
To find out more about Jalen,
Check out Jalen's blog here and follow him on Twitter.
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