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CHARLESTON, SC – The average cadet student-athlete at The Citadel is anything but average. They're members of the South Carolina Corps of Cadets. They go to class. They compete against the best the Southern Conference has to offer.

And for some, that's not enough. Many cadet student-athletes take an even less traveled path by majoring in unique or tough fields of study. Some come from unique backgrounds that make the already difficult even more so. And still others contract into the armed forces and have to prepare for their careers in the military after college.

The Citadel Department of Athletics wants to recognize some of those cadet student-athletes who are not just succeeding in competition, but are doing so at a high level while overcoming some of the toughest obstacles.

Aaron Brawley (Jr., Loganville, Ga.)
Sport: Football
Major: Business Administration (3.51 GPA)

What is your major and why did you choose to study this?
AB – "I am a business major. I am actually very passionate about film and want to be a film director, but I didn't want to become another starving artist so I decided to be ambidextrous in both the arts and business world."

What do you hope to do after graduation from undergrad? What would you like to do once you have exhausted your eligibility and finished grad school/the next step?
AB – "I currently have one more year of eligibility, however I have decided not to take it. It seemed to be the best choice for me to use my early graduation to get ahead in the work force. I am currently in the beginning stages of starting my own LLC and I am waiting to hear back from a movie studio about a potential internship opportunity."

What made you decide to work towards graduating from undergrad in just three years? What kinds of unique challenges has this brought up?
AB – "This drive helped me to be a better student as I had to invest more into my classes in order to get out on my time table. I ended up having to take a full workload (21-23 hours a semester) and some summer classes, alongside playing football and being involved with other extracurriculars, but eventually I realized I actually liked the heavy burden. It made me feel like I was being productive."

What are you doing to prepare for your career outside of your studies?
AB – "To help open up doors in the film industry, I am making tons of new connections and meeting anyone who has experience in that world. I am also working on some projects and short films that I will be releasing shortly, so stay tuned for those."

Do you hold rank in the Corps, and what are those responsibilities like on a daily basis?
AB – "I never held rank. Not within the Corps at least. It just wasn't something that interested me. However, I was assigned the rank of Squad Leader on the football team, along with being a leader in organizations such as FCA and SOAR."

Talk a little about juggling your life in the Corps, as a cadet student-athlete and within your major.
AB – "My days were always busy. During the season, I usually juggled what felt like 17-hour days between class, football, meals, extracurriculars and FCA. I'm a night owl, so I have no problem sacrificing sleep in order to get work done. But no matter how late it was, I always had to throw on at least one episode of tv or read a book just so there was a buffer and it wasn't all work."

What would you say has been the most difficult part of being a cadet student-athlete in your major?
AB – "My football schedule was incredibly tough on my life as a student. Spending four hours with football each day after going to class was mentally and physically taxing, and it was hard to want to work after that. Then, with some games being eight or nine hours away, that meant I would most likely be missing two days worth of class at times. But somehow I found a way to get everything done. I'd like to give a shout out to Dante Smith. We had a lot of classes together and were able to keep each other accountable because there were definitely times I would forget about major deadlines and he'd have to remind me. I couldn't have done it without him."

What is something that you will always look back fondly on here at The Citadel?
AB – "As bad as they were, I'm going to miss our team trips to Camp Bulldog! I got to know a lot of my teammates and had some of the deepest conversations of my collegiate career. We really made the best out of a bad situation and developed bonds that I'll never forget. Besides that, I would say our win over Georgia Tech, being tied with Alabama at the half, and my time serving with FCA hold some of my fondest memories and I will cling to them forever. Go Bulldogs!"

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