Read our Winning "Why MMI Matters" Alumni Essays
1.24.12 A fall 2011 call for entries answering the question: "Why Does MMI Matter?" produced many personal essays from alumni and cadets detailing their Marion experience. Below are our winners:
Truth, Honor, Service
by LTC Mike Patronis, USAF, Class of 1985HS/87JC
Building a Foundation
by 2LT Sierra Williams, Class of 2011JC
Going through Marion
by Mrs. Melanie Merkle Atha, Class of 1982JC
LTC Patronis '85HS/'87JC: Greetings from Afghanistan
10.19.11 Hey Gang, I'm currently deployed to Bagram, Afghanistan and serve at Craig Joint Theater Hospital (CJTH) as the 455th Expeditionary Group Administrator and 455th Expeditionary Support Squadron Commander. We are a Level III Trauma Hospital and treat coalition military and local nationals. This is where all seriously injured are taken before being evacuated to Germany.
Four years ago, MMI cadets raised enough money to purchase a 25' by 36' American flag and sent it to me at the Level III Trauma Hospital in Balad, Iraq , via Darryl Worley, for me to place under "Heroes Highway" (a special canopy that all patients viewed as they came off the battlefield and were moved from MEDEVAC choppers to our trauma hospital). I later met those cadets when visiting during my nephew's graduation...was a big deal for me to be part of something very special.
Last month, on 9/11, we dedicated a similar flag outside of our Emergency Department here at CJTH, and call this area "Warrior's Way."
I'm very proud of our staff, and rock star surgeons, and the care they provide for our wounded warriors.
God Bless MMI and God Bless America!
v/r,
MICHAEL G. PATRONIS, Lt Col, USAF, MSC
"Why MMI Matters" Essay Contest
Now through November 1
Why does Marion Military Institute matter in higher education, in the nation, in our community? That is the question we often, and gladly, answer to increase public awareness of "The Military College of Alabama."
So we pose this question to you, those who know MMI best, to explain in your own words the Marion Military Institute experience. Submit a personal essay simply answering "Why MMI Matters" in 500 words or less. Submissions should be emailed to Marietta Holmes no later than November 1.
The chosen essay(s) will be published in the Winter 2011 Pass in Review magazine as well as online. Be sure to include your full name and class year (if applicable).
Admissions Team Heading to MS, VA, NC & CA, Asking for Alumni Contacts in Area
The Marion Military Institute Admissions staff will be hitting the road in October to visit high schools in Virginia, North Carolina, Mississippi and California. If any alumni would like to forward information on high schools or organizations in those areas, please email LTC James Lake, VP for Enrollment, or call 800-MMI-1842. The recruiting schedule is listed below.
- Oct. 5 - Columbus, MS College Fair
- Week of Oct. 10 - Oak Ridge, NC; Fork Union, Va; Chatham, VA; Front Royal, VA; and Waynesboro, VA high schools
- Oct. 17-18 - Port Gibson, MS, Chamberlain-Hunt Military Academy
- Oct. 20-23 - San Jose and Oakland, CA (with Softball coach)
LTC Lake '95 Named VP for Enrollment at MMI
MMI is proud to announce that Northport, Ala. native and MMI alumnus LTC James Lake has accepted the position as Vice President for Enrollment Management. LTC Lake most recently held the position of Assistant Professor of Military Science, Army ROTC, at MMI. He is a 1995JC graduate and received his Army ROTC commission while at the Institute.
“As an MMI alumnus, becoming the Vice President for Enrollment Management at Marion Military Institute is a dream job for me,” LTC Lake stated in an interview. “I truly believe in the mission and purpose of this fine institution and am thrilled to be taking an active part in ensuring its future growth and continued success. The 2011-2012 school year is going to be an exciting one for MMI, and my admissions team is ready to be a big part of filling the Corps of Cadets with high-quality students.”
LTC Lake holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management from the University of Alabama (1997) and was awarded a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Alabama-Birmingham in 1999. He also holds the designation of Certified Financial Manager. His military education includes the Military Police Officer Basic Course, the Military Police Officer Advanced Course, the Combined Arms Services Staff School, the Command & General Staff College, and the Advanced Operations and Warfighting Course. LTC Lake is an Adjunct Faculty Member of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College.
LTC Lake’s command and leadership assignments have included MP Platoon Leader, MP Detachment Commander, and MP Company Commander. His staff assignments have consisted of MP Battalion Assistant S-3, MP Battalion S-3 Battle Captain while deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and MP Battalion Executive Officer. LTC Lake has also served as the Battalion Training Officer and the Battalion Administrative Officer for the 231st MP Battalion, Alabama Army National Guard, Assistant Professor of Military Science/Army ROTC Instructor (S-3) at the University of Alabama, and Interim Professor of Military Science and Army ROTC Instructor at Marion Military Institute Army ROTC.
His military decorations and awards include the Combat Action Badge, Basic Parachutist Badge, Physical Fitness Excellence Badge, Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, Overseas Service Ribbon, Meritorious Unit Commendation, and the Joint Meritorious Unit Award. LTC Lake’s writings have been published and recognized with distinction in the MILITARY POLICE BULLETIN, published by the U. S. Army Military Police School at Fort Leonard Wood, MO.
LTC Lake is married to the former Corrie Harris and has four children: Sarah, Hayden, Carson, and Anna.
Fall Alumni & Friends Mixers Announced
The first two MMI mixers of the 2011-12 school year have been scheduled, and more will be added throughout Alabama and beyond.
CAPT Van Camp '02 Killed in Action in Iraq
We regret to inform you that U.S. Army Capt. David VanCamp, MMI JC class of 2002, was killed during a rocket attack in Iraq on June 29. VanCamp, an Elm Grove, W.V., native who had been stationed at Fort Hood, Texas, was commander of Company H, 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family. Funeral arrangements are unknown at this time.
MMI Mondays - Happy Hour Continues in Birmingham
In 2011, Alumni Brigade President Fraser Sparkman launched a monthly, casual get-together on the third Monday of each month. During these "MMI Mondays," alumni, parents and supporters are invited to Applebee's Brookwood Village to meet for a drink and/or stay for dinner. The events begin at 6 p.m. No need to RSVP. Just show up!
Remembering MAJ David McCollum '81/'83
Dear MMI Family,
It is with regret that we inform you of the recent death of Major David E. McCollum, a graduate of the MMI high school (1981) and junior college (1983). David commissioned at MMI and began a successful career in aviation, beginning with his Army training. A flight test engineer for Gulfstream, he lost his life in a test flight crash on April 2 in Roswell, N.M. On April 9, MMI hosted a funeral service in the MMI Chapel to celebrate David's life. In accordance with the family's wishes, the "David Ellis McCollum Endowed Aviation Scholarship" has been established through the MMI Foundation and will help cadets who need assistance with the cost of our flight program.
Memorial contributions be made to either the MMI Foundation (choose "David McCollum Aviation Endowed Scholarship Fund" under Endowed Scholarships in the online form) or the Army Aviation Heritage Foundation.
Former President Fant & Fellow Alumnus Key Visit Campus
On Feb. 1, emeritus member of the MMI Board of Trustees and Advisors Mr. Ernest Key and his wife Teresa brought former MMI President, MG Joseph L. Fant, III, USA (Ret) and his wife Carolyn for a visit to campus and a luncheon with MMI President Col. David Mollahan and his wife Ingrid. The gentlemen are both MMI alumni, class of 1947.
Hometown Features Highlight MMI Alumni
Several MMI Alumni have been recently been profiled by their hometown newspapers. Click on the links below to see what they have been up to lately.
Mr. Bob Ennis '70 of Tuscaloosa, AL: "Ennis was more than just the city's top lawyer"
LCDR Ned Smith, USN (Ret) '62 & '64 of Pell City, Ala.: "Invaluable asset to PCPD"
Capt. Michael Jason Mitchell '99 of Brandon, Miss. / Germany: "Military Briefs: Mitchell awarded Bronze Star"
State Rep. Jeff Brandes '96 of St. Petersburg, Fla.: "Restless Native"
Capt. Hayes Larkins '46, '50: "Army Veteran Served in Korea, Vietnam Wars"
Remembering Stacy Coleman '81: Father, Soldier, Morgan's Raider
On November 10, LTC Mike Patronis, USAF '87 traveled to Marion from Texas to speak in the MMI Chapel and present the inaugural John Hunt Morgan Endowed Scholarship in memory of fellow alumnus COL Stacy Coleman (1963-2007). Coleman was instrumental in forming the scholarship along with fellow Morgan's Raiders, and it seemed fitting that the ceremony should be in his honor.
Members of the Patronis and Coleman family, including Stacy's wife LTC Debra Coleman and sons Hunt & Matt, attended the ceremony and met with the 2010 scholarship recipient, Cadet Joseph Edwards of Crystal Lake, Ill. A graduate of Fork Union Military Academy, Edwards is a member of the MMI wrestling team and is enrolled in the Early Commissioning Program.
Following the ceremony, our honored guests were treated to a luncheon with MMI President, Col. David J. Mollahan, USMC (Ret).
Citizen Architect Documentary Profiles Samuel Mockbee '64
The late Samuel Mockbee (MMI class of 1964), is the subject of a new documentary film: Citizen Architect: Samuel Mockbee and the Spirit of the Rural Studio. A Mississippi native and Auburn University School of Architecture graduate, he founded Auburn University's Rural Studio, a design-build outreach program based in Newbern, Ala. Since its founding in 1993, students at the Rural Studio have built more than 80 projects in Hale, Perry and Marengo counties.
Featuring never-before-seen interviews with Mockbee himself, the film also follows his former students, a local homeowner, and former Rural Studio instructor Jay Sanders (one of the film's producers). Other architects and designers weigh in on Mockbee's contributions to his chosen profession.
Citizen Architect is sponsored by Great Southern Wood Preserving, makers of YellaWood pressure-treated pine. Company founder/president/CEO Jimmy Rane began his friendship with Mockbee while they were both MMI cadets.
