SEMO STUDENT AMONG ROTC AWARD FINALISTS

A December 1991 graduate of Southeast Missouri State University is among 110 finalists nationwide for the Army ROTC Top 5 Percent Fellowship Program.

2nd Lt. Eric Ludwig of Cape Girardeau, who last fall received a bachelor's degree in criminal justice with a major in military science, is among the select group narrowed from a field of 3,300 cadets from across the nation.

All cadets to be commissioned in the United States in fiscal 1992 were considered for the honor based on academics, performance and overall achievement, said Major Carl Smith, chief of the U.S. Army ROTC Extension Center at Southeast.

The Fellowship Program covers the cost of graduate school for recipients between their fourth and 10th years of active military duty.

"I don't think we've ever had a recipient at Southeast," Smith said. "It's a very difficult procedure. It's quite an achievement. Just to get this far is very good."

Ludwig has surpassed the first hurdle. In April, he is required to take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) for entry into graduate school. Next summer, a panel will consider the GRE scores and total performance of the 110 finalists. A select group of recipients will be chosen from that group and announced in September, Smith said.

Beginning in April, Ludwig will attend aviation school for about 42 weeks in Fort Rucker, Ala.