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                         March 19, 2004

Two cadets receive Gates scholarships

By Jim Fox
Assistant Editor

Cadets 1st Class Steve Kreeger and Heather Ritchey were named Gates Scholars recently. They are the fourth and fifth cadets to earn the honor since the scholarship was first awarded in 2001.

The Gates Cambridge Scholarship is funded by a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. It is designed to allow students worldwide who show a commitment to public service to study at Cambridge University in England.

Kreeger and Ritchey are two of 31 Americans to earn the scholarship in 2004. They will both begin classes in October.

Ritchey, 21, of Batavia, Ill., is a Systems Engineering major who will branch Military Police. She plans on studying towards a Master’s in Management Studies.

“Cambridge presents an opportunity for me to study in an international student population, while researching the nature of learning that occurs within an organization,” the current 3rd Regiment executive officer said. “The coalition nature of peace-keeping operations in the future will require U.S. Soldiers to work extensively with allies from other nations, so it’s a great opportunity to study and learn with members of other nations to broaden my perspectives.”

Kreeger, an American Politics major is also a Truman Scholar. He hails from Custer, S.D., and will branch Military Intelligence.

He sees attending Cambridge as a “lifetime opportunity,academically and in terms of life experience.”

The former head manager for the Army football team will pursue a Master’s degree in International Studies Cambridge.

Kreeger, 22, will attend OBC at Fort Huachuca, Ariz. after he completes his schooling. He plans on deferring his Truman Scholarship until further into his Army career.