ORANGEBURG, S.C. — Retired Brigadier General Twanda Young was a trailblazer for women in the U.S. Army.
She is the first woman commissioned from the ROTC program at South Carolina State to earn the rank of Brigadier General.
“I saw that what I was doing was making an impact and I wanted to do something impactful with my life," said Young.
She graduated from Claflin University in 1989.
Throughout her tenure, she served in command and staff positions in the United States, Afghanistan, and other parts of the world.
She says the journey to achieving this ranking came with adversity.
“My senior leader told me that I had no right and I wasn’t supposed to be in the military and I found the fortitude to tell him I’ll be there when you retire and I was there," she said.
Young says she didn't allow doubt to block her path.
A Veteran Women's monument is now on display at Claflin University honoring alumni like Young who served in the U.S. military.
According to the university, the monument is the first of its kind at an HBCU.
“It’s not how you fall, it’s how you get up, and how you move forward," said Young.
Today, she serves in academia as an executive-in-residence at Bowie State University where she teaches leadership with a focus in diversity and inclusion. Next on her list is to write a book.
The working title is "Empowered Women, Empower Women." It all ties into her message she's leaving behind to the next generation of women chasing their dreams.
“Know that there are people around you that are there to help push you forward it’s a matter of whether you’re going to receive what they have to say.”