Women in the Corps of Cadets

History of Women at The Citadel

Twenty twenty-four marks an important milestone for The Citadel — 25 years of women graduating from the South Carolina Corps of Cadets. In 1999, when the first woman to wear the Band of Gold crossed the stage and received her diploma, it marked a turning point in the institution’s history for women who had dreams of graduating from the Military College of South Carolina. 

From the first female athlete to the first female regimental commander, women at The Citadel have continuously shattered barriers while leaving a lasting mark of excellence on the institution. For more than 150 years, the South Carolina Corps of Cadets was an all-male institution. In 1995, the first woman joined the Corps of Cadets. The next year more women enrolled, and out of that group the first female cadet to graduate from The Citadel, Nancy Mace, earned her degree in 1999. She was quickly followed by Petra Lovetinska, from the Class of 2000, who was also the first foreign-born female cadet. Both trailblazers shined in their time at The Citadel and in their post-graduation lives.

In 1997, Mandy Garcia became the first female cadet-athlete, securing an athletic scholarship for cross country as well as track and field. Garcia would later become the first female Regimental Executive Officer, the second-highest ranking cadet in the Corps at the time. The following year, 1998, marked the debut season for The Citadel’s women’s volleyball team. Fast forward 25 years, and the team achieved unprecedented success, having a remarkable 23-game winning streak during the 2023 regular season.

By 2002, a significant milestone was celebrated as the first African American women — including Toshika “Peaches” Hudson, Renee Hypolite, Natosha Mitchell, Geneive Hardney, Lesjanusar “Sha” Peterson, Adrienne Watson and Jame McCloud — graduated from The Citadel. Just two years later, female enrollment surged to 6.1%, with the numbers steadily rising. As of fall 2023, The Citadel’s Corps of Cadets is comprised of 13% women.

In 2018, Sarah Zorn was named regimental commander, the highest-ranking cadet officer in command of the Corps of Cadets. Zorn’s achievement marked a pivotal moment, as she made history as the first woman to lead the South Carolina Corps of Cadets in the military college’s extensive history. In 2021, The Citadel saw its second female regimental commander, Kathryn Christmas, further solidifying the leadership role of female cadets.

Today, female cadets fill numerous Regimental, Battalion and Company leadership roles, excel in the class room and on the sports fields and courts. Female cadets are a fully integrated part of campus life, The Citadel alumni network, and Citadel history.

Celebrating 25 years of female cadet graduates

On January 30, The Citadel hosted a panel discussion to commemorate 25 years of female cadets graduates moderated by Provost Sally Selden, Ph.D. Participants included Lieutenant Colonel Mary Thornton, (class of 2005), Laura Curran (class of 2009), Bailey Richardson (class of 2020) and Cadet Tiziana Ortega. The panelists discussed the various challenges they faced as female cadets and the unique ways their experiences have prepared them to serve as leaders and take on other challenges in their lives.