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Our Mighty Citadel

Marcus Milhouse

Where Your Story Begins

As Marcus Milhouse II walked through the sally port of 2nd Battalion for the first time on Matriculation Day, he could feel his father walking right beside him.

His father, Marcus Milhouse, ’92, for whom he was named, passed away suddenly on April 4, 2004, a week before his son’s 7th birthday.

“I was really young, but we had a very close relationship,” said Milhouse. “Wherever he was, I was with him, and every time he went to the car I ran into the passenger seat just to be with him. He and I were like two peas in a pod.”

As he grew older, Milhouse felt a strong desire to honor his father’s legacy. During his senior year of high school, he decided to pursue that desire by attending his father’s alma mater—The Citadel. Apart from the stories his family shared over the years about his father’s time at The Citadel, Milhouse didn’t know much about the college.

Adjusting to life at The Citadel was challenging, but his commitment to honor his father’s legacy motivated him to seek out new opportunities and do everything to the best of his ability. During Challenge Week his freshman year, Milhouse was introduced to The Citadel Gospel Choir.

The choir was originally established as a cadet club in the 1980s, but membership dwindled over time. Milhouse worked alongside a group of six faithful knobs who shared a common love of gospel music to bring the choir back to campus. Four years later, a diverse group of over 60 cadets meet every Tuesday and Thursday in Summerall Chapel to learn, rehearse and prepare for performances—not only on campus, but around the Charleston area as well.

“From six to 60, the one thing that remained constant was our love for each other,” said Milhouse. “For us, the more people that came in were just more family we had made. I’ve learned something from every single one of those 60.”

Throughout his cadet career, Milhouse found support and inspiration in the cadets in the gospel choir.

“When you come to The Citadel, you make good friendships, you establish what your values are and look to mentor other people who are coming behind you. That’s where your Citadel starts. That becomes your Citadel story, and I thank God for making my Citadel story since I’ve been here.”

Milhouse, who graduated in May with a degree in sport management, is set to begin the next chapter of his story as a second lieutenant in the United States Air Force stationed in Hawaii.


Special thanks to cadet interns Grayson Cooper and Justin Hill for their contributions to this project.


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#1 Public College in the South

The Citadel has been ranked #1 Public College in the South offering up to a master's degree by U.S. News & World Report for 10 years in a row.

1 in 3 Cadets Earn a Commission

Approximately 1 in 3 cadets earn a commission into the U.S. Armed Forces upon graduation.

Citadel Graduate College

The Citadel Graduate College offers 25 graduate degrees programs with 22 concentration options, 25 graduate certificates and 10 undergraduate degree completion programs.

11:1 Student-Faculty Ratio

The 11:1 student-faculty ratio ensures direct access to nationally recognized scholars.

2,300 Cadets

Approximately 2,300 students comprise the South Carolina Corps of Cadets at The Citadel.

Over 90% Cadet Placement

Over 90% of Cadets report professional employment, military, or graduate school acceptance within 6 months of graduation, which is significantly above the national average.

$250,690,056 Raised

20,784 donors contributed to the Foundation for Leadership campaign, a 6 year effort to support the college.

Over 1,100 Non-Traditional Students

The Citadel Graduate College has a population of over 1,100 students, 23% of whom are a part of the undergraduate degree completion program.

16 Varsity Athletic Teams

The Citadel is part of the Division I Southern Conference with 9 men's varsity teams and 7 women's varsity teams.

Learning in 23 Countries

Citadel cadets and students study abroad in 23 countries across several continents.

22% Veteran Students

22% of the Citadel Graduate College are veteran students studying locally and abroad with The Citadel ranked as #1 Public College for Veterans in the South.

24 Undergraduate Majors

The Citadel offers 24 undergraduate majors and 39 minors.

#1 College for Alumni Giving in the South

The Citadel is ranked #1 College for Alumni Giving in the South with a current alumni network of over 39,000 people.

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