The South Carolina military college first allowed women to join the corps in 1995 under federal court order. Women now make up about nine percent of the undergraduate student body and that number continues to grow. At the helm of the more than 2,300 cadets is senior Sarah Zorn.
"I didn't want to do it because I wanted to be this 'shatterer of glass ceilings' or things like that. I wanted to provide the best opportunity to leave the corps better for tomorrow," Zorn said.
She grew up in a small South Carolina town, in a "give the shirt off your back" kind of household. The selflessness and determination she developed carried her to the Citadel.
"I'm proud to have that title and I'm humbled to have that title but I always try to keep in the back of my mind that it's not about what I am, it's about what I do," Zorn said. "Service to me is selfless….to be a servant leader is to put others' needs before your own. I personally believe that servant leadership is the only successful leadership because no matter your decision, you are making decisions as a leader on behalf of others." It's that very kind of focus that's earned Zorn respect, but she did face some initial resistance from the long gray line.
"There was a small amount of cadets who were questioning what she would do simply because she was a woman, not because of her merit," said regimental executive officer David Days. "But I think as we've progressed throughout from last spring until now, more and more people have gotten behind her."
