Four ECSU Graduates Commissioned as U.S. Army Officers
Robert Kelly-Goss
Posted On May 10, 2019
Pictured are, left to right, Maj. Gen. (retired) Sanford E. Holman, 2nd Lt. Dara Drury, 2nd Lt. Isaiah Graves, 2nd. Lt. Vance Maxey, 2nd Lt. Brandon Sparrow, and ECSU Chancellor Karrie Dixon. The four graduating seniors were commissioned into the U.S. Army during a ceremony on campus Friday, May 10.
Four Elizabeth City State University graduating seniors were commissioned into the U.S. Army Friday, May 10 in a ceremony at the Mickey L. Burnim Fine Arts Center.
The newly commissioned officers are 2nd Lt. Dara Drury, 2nd Lt. Isaiah Graves, 2nd Lt. Vance Maxey, and 2nd Lt. Brandon Sparrow. The keynote speaker was Maj. Gen. (retired) Sanford E. Holman.
2nd Lt. Dara Drury
Second Lt. Drury will branch into the Ordnance Corps after completion of the Basic Officer Leadership Course at Fort Lee, Virginia with a follow-on assignment to Camp Humphreys, Korea. She is graduating ECSU with a Bachelor of Arts in Fitness and Wellness, with a minor in Military Science.
During her undergraduate program, she has served in the ROTC Program as a Squad Leader, Platoon Leader, and Executive Officer for Viking Battalion. In 2017, she was a member of the ECSU Cross Country team, ranking first place for female runners.
Her short-term goal is to attend airborne school and long-term goal is to complete a Masters of Education and Exercise Science.
2nd Lt. Isaiah Graves
Second Lt. Graves will branch into the Ordnance Corps after completion of the Basic Officer Leadership Course at Fort Lee, Virginia, with a follow-on assignment to Fort Bliss, Texas. He is graduating from ECSU with a Bachelor of Arts in Music, with a concentration in Sound and Recording, and a minor in Military Science.
Second Lt. Graves was a member of the Sound of Class Marching Band and part of the drum line for three years. He held the title of Campus Activity Board President in 2018-2019. While on campus, he joined Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band Fraternity and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated.
His short-term goal is to take the Law School Admission Test and his long-term goal is to apply for law school.
2nd Lt. Vance Maxey
Second Lt. Maxey Jr., entered military service in January 2007 with an enlistment in the US Army Medical Services Corps at the age of 18. He will branch in the Engineer Corps after completing the Basic Officer Leadership Course at Fort Leonard-Wood, Missouri, with a follow-on assignment to Fort Riley, Kansas.
Throughout his military career, 2nd. Lt. Maxey has served in numerous active duty assignments to include Logistical Operations Sergeant, Training Room NCO, NCOIC of Logistics, Medical Logistics Platoon Sergeant, and Headquarters Platoon Sergeant.
His educational achievements include an Associates of Arts in General Studies from Central Texas College and a Bachelor of Arts in Supply Chain Management from Ashford University. Currently, 2nd Lt. Maxey is graduating from ECSU with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration, with a minor in Military Science.
His awards and decorations include the Army Commendation Medal (2nd OLC), Army Achievement Medal (7th OLC), Meritorious Unit Citation, Army Superior Unit Award, Army Good Conduct Medal (4th Award), National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal (One bronze star), NCO Professional Development Ribbon (Numeral 3), Global War on Terrorism Service Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, NATO Medal, Expert Field Medical Badge, Basic Airborne Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge, and Drivers Badge (wheel).
His short-term goal is to attend Sapper (combat engineer) School and his long-term goal is to retire from the military.
2nd Lt. Brandon Sparrow
Second Lt. Sparrow will branch into the United States Army Reserves’ as an Intelligence Officer in the Chemical Corps after completion of the Basic Officer Leadership Course at Fort Leonard-Wood, Missouri. He is graduating ECSU as a Distinguished Military Graduate, earning a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, with a minor in Public Health.
During his undergraduate program, he was a participant in the Department of Homeland Security’s “Working Together for a Safer Tomorrow” program stationed out of the University of Southern California’s Center for Risk and Economic Analysis of Terrorism Events. With the program, he has been able to conduct transportation research in Alaska, Washington State, and Victoria, British Columbia.
Through the Army ROTC, 2nd Lt. Sparrow has been to Nepal on a Cultural Understanding and Language Proficiency mission, in which he spent three weeks providing humanitarian assistance in the countryside and performed site visits to Nepal’s key homeland security organizations.
His short-term goal involves pursuing a full-time job with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in addition to his service in the United States Army. For his long-term goal, he plans to use his lifelong love of music to work towards pursuing a graduate degree in music therapy to treat men and women who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder.
